Education Aid Increases Promising, but More Needs to be Done

By Representative James Eldridge

With the FY07 budget having been passed by the Legislature, there is great news that local aid (both for municipal services and education) has increased for the first time in four years.  Even better, local aid for the towns of the 37th Middlesex District (Acton, Boxborough, Harvard, Lancaster, Lunenburg and Shirley) increased at a higher percentage in total (15%) than the total increase for Chapter 70 education funds statewide (8%).  In addition, Lottery Aid, PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) funding, and regional school transportation reimbursements were increased as well.  Given that state revenues are up this year that is only fitting, yet the voters and families of many suburban communities across the state had to work hand in hand with their legislators to make sure that they received their fair share of local aid for our communities.

That being said, there is no doubt that the FY07 budget marks only the beginning to restoring the cuts in local aid for cities and towns in Massachusetts in 2002.  The bottom line is that most Massachusetts communities continue to struggle to pay the costs of educating their children, as well as providing police, fire, EMS and other basic municipal services through residential property taxes.  While many towns and cities have tried to increase revenues by creating more commercial properties, it is a myth that such development does not bring with it added costs for a municipality, or that such an approach will create a substantial decrease in residential property taxes. 

The challenge then, is how to maintain the excellent quality of public schools that this area prides itself on, while reducing the burden of property taxes on blue collar and middle class families, and senior citizens.  Part of the solution is reducing costs, and I am proud that a number of communities in the 37th Middlesex District are looking at regionalizing services like police and fire dispatch.  The Joint Committee on Public Service, of which I am a member, created a blue ribbon panel to make recommendations on simplifying the pension systems in Massachusetts.  We have also worked directly with pension oversight groups like PERAC to toughen up regulations that protect the investments made to pay public employees’ pensions, and the taxes that all residents pay that provide such a benefit.

That being said, the real difference will be made in how Massachusetts as a state and a society funds education.  There is no more important responsibility, and given both increased global competition and the fact that we live in a state with few natural resources besides brain power, we must continue to prioritize education to keep our economy strong, protect our state’s great quality of life, and provide equal opportunity for our children.

The Legislatures and Governor’s changes to the Chapter 70 formula bode well for suburban communities.  Supported by thousands of concerned parents and residents, area legislators worked on successfully establishing a minimum state aid floor for all Massachusetts communities for the first time ever (sometimes referred to as the “Acton Plan”).  Under these changes, a goal of providing 17.5% of every community’s education costs is now law, as well as provision for additional “Growth Aid” for communities that have seen increased enrollment in their schools.

These changes underscore the ideal approach of government support for public education, that the state should make sure that every child in society has access to an excellent education, but that the education is provided in a manner that makes it affordable for Massachusetts residents of all economic levels.  Relying too much on the property tax moves away from this vision, while contributing to the outflow of young professionals that make up most of the Massachusetts residents leaving the state, and also causing many seniors to leave the town they spent all of their lives in.

With this year’s changes, it is my belief that the Legislature has embarked on a commitment to better balancing paying for education between property and state taxes.  These changes coupled with the significant increase in the Special Education Circuit Breaker funding and the reform of the School Building Assistance Bureau (SBAB) program shows how much Massachusetts residents and their state government care about education.  However, adequate funding is not there yet, and it will take the efforts of all legislators, concerned residents, and the new Governor to reach the next step.