Sen. Jehlen Part of Commission Seeking Changes to School Funding Formula

State education leaders, including Senator Pat Jehlen (D-Somerville), recently released the recommendations of the Foundation Budget Review Commission, appointed to examine the adequacy and effectiveness of the state’s education funding formula.

The Commission found that the way the foundation budget—the starting point in Massachusetts K-12 school financing—understates the cost of educating students by at least $1 billion per year.

These findings represent a consensus across the educational community—from legislators to teachers, school boards, administrators, department officials, researchers, advocates, and business leaders—that Massachusetts is falling short of its promise to provide the necessary resources for attaining educational success.

The report focuses on several components:

1. The surge in health care costs over the past two decades has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars being diverted out of the classroom to cover insurance premiums. As a result, many school districts are unable to provide core educational components like art, foreign languages, professional development, or targeted initiatives to reach their most disadvantaged students.

2. The current formula understates the costs of special education.

3. The costs of providing adequate education for students in poverty and those with limited English have been understated.

If taken up by the Legislature, the recommendations would represent the first major modernization of the state’s education financing system since the Education Reform Act of 1993.

“This report confirms that we are not closing the opportunity gap. The poorest children go to the most under-resourced schools,” said Senator Patricia Jehlen (D-Somerville). “Acting quickly on the report’s recommendations is the highest priority in education for the state.”

The cost of school district foundation budgets are shared between the state and the local municipality, with the proportions varying depending on the wealth of the district. The report recommends that the proposed increases be phased in over the course of multiple years to avoid shocks to state or local budgets.

– Submitted by State Senator Pat Jehlen’s office