Call for Urgent School Funding Solutions
More than 1,000 leaders call for a fix to state education funding
Municipal leaders, superintendents, school committee members, educators and community partners have signed onto a letter calling on Governor Maura Healey and the state Legislature to take urgent action to address the deepening fiscal crisis facing public schools across the Commonwealth.
The letter, which was signed by 1,075 leaders from across the state, was delivered to the governor and legislators on Nov. 18.
“We are writing to demand decisive state action in the FY2027 budget and using available Fair Share surplus funds to address the fiscal crisis facing our public school districts. It is increasingly clear that public schools across our state are facing significant fiscal challenges caused by severe flaws in our school funding policies that are rapidly undermining our students’ constitutional right to a high-quality and fully funded public education,” the letter states.
Funding Our Schools to Meet the Needs of All Students
MTA members delivered 1,000 postcards to legislators, each featuring personal stories that highlighted the local impact of the fiscal crisis facing our schools.
Public school districts across the Commonwealth are facing severe fiscal challenges that threaten to undermine their capacity to deliver a high-quality public education to all students. While the Student Opportunity Act is providing meaningful investments in many communities, not every district has seen significant increases in state aid. Additionally, a combination of factors, including technical issues with the Chapter 70 formula, high inflation and escalating costs, have further strained local budgets. Since fiscal challenges vary between districts, it will take a mix of solutions to ensure that every district has the resources that students and educators need to succeed.
The MTA is advocating for a comprehensive legislative and budget platform that helps address the main drivers of the fiscal crisis facing our public schools. Together, we can build on our historic victories with the Student Opportunity Act, Fair Share Amendment and Question 2 to make meaningful progress in advancing our shared vision for public education. We are also working to address the fiscal challenges facing our public colleges and universities so that we may ensure all students succeed and faculty and staff are paid the wages and benefits needed to recruit and retain a strong workforce.
