Mass. Association of School Committees
May 2026 MASC Policy Newsletter MASC Policy Update In our regular review of policies for public school districts, MASC shares the following recommended
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education met for their regular monthly meeting on April 28, 2026. The agenda of
More than 300 MA school committee members, administrators, educators, and over 100 high school students, returned to (the newly renovated) Gardner Auditorium at the State House on March 30 for MASC’s annual legislative advocacy program.
MASC President Denise Hurst convened the gathering before welcoming legislators and other special guests to report on current and pending issues and the financial implications of those that will impact public education in the
The House Ways & Means (HWM) Committee has released its $63.33B budget proposal. This represents a $2.3B (3.7%) increase over
The House Ways & Means Committee budget is now before the full House, and this is a critical opportunity to
Districts alerted to Title 1 cutbacks. In early March, DESE updated superintendents and those who manage grants that Title I allocation for the upcoming year is expected to be less for the state and for districts in Massachusetts.
While the federal budget that was passed by Congress and signed into law virtually level funded the federal entitlement grants, allocations to states and then in turn to districts are recalculated each year based on the demographics that determine funding.
This coming fiscal year for school districts, the state has learned that the Massachusetts share of the federal poverty total has dropped by 10%. That will in turn decrease the Massachusetts share of Title I funding, and, in turn, the district by district allocations will also be less.
The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education met on Tuesday, March 24, 2026 in Everett. Their agenda can be
IN MEMORIAM: Paul Gorden MASC regrets to inform you that Paul Gorden, former MASC Executive Director, passed away suddenly on
The Healey-Driscoll Administration has released their $62.8B proposal for the FY27 Budget, which includes several key investments in public education across the Commonwealth. The information below highlights major education-related funding items, including updates from the accompanying supplemental budget that impact FY27 allocations.
As always, MASC will continue to closely monitor budget activity and any adjustments throughout the fiscal year. We will share updates and key action items ahead of the House budget in April and the Senate budget in May, and continue to keep members informed as the budget process moves forward. We’re also looking ahead to our annual Advocacy Day (Day on the Hill) on Monday, March 30—we hope you’ll register and join us. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.
Chapter 70: Increases Chapter 70 education aid by $241.8M (3.3%),
On March 3rd, 2026 MASC President Denise Hurst announced a new venue for the 2026 annual conference. That announcement may