Senate FY27 Budget Debate Next Week
Urge your State Senators to Support Key Amendments
Dear MASC Members and Friends,
The Senate Ways & Means (SWM)Committee’s FY27 Budget will be debated by the full Senate next week. This is a critical opportunity to strengthen investments in public education, and we are urging members to contact their state senators in support of key amendments that would provide additional resources for school districts. Please note that the deadline for senators to cosponsor amendments is the end of the day on Friday, May 15.
To get started, download the template email here. Then, use the Massachusetts Legislature’s “Find My Legislator” tool to identify your state senator, personalize the message, and make your voice heard.
Please find brief information below on the amendments MASC is supporting. If you missed our SWM FY27 Budget Recap, click here.
Best,
Anthony Andronico
Operations Director & Lobbyist
MASC
Amendments MASC is Supporting in the FY27 Senate Budget
- #605 – Regional School Transportation filed by Sen. Cronin
- #608, #641, & #730 – Increasing Minimum Per Pupil Aid to $200 filed by Sen. Tarr, Sen. Cronin, and Sen. Fattman respectively
- #618, #648, & #731 – Rural School Aid filed by Sen. Durant, Sen. Mark, and Sen. Fattman respectively
- A note about Rural School Aid in the SWM FY27 Budget: $24M total potentially available for FY27. The SWM FY27 budget funds Rural School Aid at $16M. In addition, the Senate Supplemental Budget includes two additional funding buckets: $4M specifically designated for FY27 and another $4M that may be expended in either FY26 or FY27. Given the anticipated timing of the supplemental budget’s passage, it is likely that the flexible $4M allocation will ultimately be expended in FY27 rather than FY26. However, for accounting purposes, the Legislature will count that $4M as part of the FY26 GAA, which would bring total FY26 Rural School Aid funding to $16M – consistent with the amount funded in the FY25 GAA. This would also mean that the minimum SWM FY27 specific funding for Rural School aid is $20M.
- #622 – Municipal School District Transportation filed by Sen. Fernandes
- #627– Regional Schools Special Education Reserve Fund filed by Sen. Oliveira
- #631 – Strengthening the Special Education Circuit Breaker Program filed by Sen. Oliveira
- #652 – METCO Funding filed by Sen. Lewis
- #653 – Financial Literacy in Schools filed by Sen. O’Connor
- #696 – Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative filed by Sen. Lovely
- #712 – Charter School Reimbursement filed by Sen. Kennedy
- #726 – Chapter 70: Inflation Adjustment filed by Sen. Payano
#764 – Whole Child Grant Program filed by Sen. Oliveira