Holding elected representatives accountable is a fundamental part of American democracy. With the return of the We the People column, begun by Class of 2019 intern Kate Selig, the Harvard Press seeks to provide its readers with the information to do so. We will be reporting regularly on our elected officials’ activities at the state and federal level.
On Oct. 3, the State Senate unanimously passed what the State House News Service called the “most comprehensive overhaul of public school funding since 1993.” The bill, known as the Student Opportunity Act, would more equitably distribute $1.5 billion to Massachusetts’ K-12 public education system over the next seven years.
Among those voting for the measure was Harvard’s State Sen. Jamie Eldridge. Eldridge told the Press that while Harvard will not receive as much additional funding as other, less affluent districts, the town will still receive increased funds for special education and teacher health care, reducing the burden on property taxes. (According to Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Michael Rodrigues, the bill itself will not require any new taxes to be enacted.) Eldridge further explained that the act will also raise the cap for school building assistance in the future, as well as provide funds for special education transit costs. He emphasized that the bill is a win for anyone who cares about public education and believes that every single community deserves a good public education system.
The bill seeks to close funding gaps between more and less affluent districts to help level the playing field of educational opportunity across the state. It does this, in part, by providing additional funding proportional to the number of low-income students in a district, newly defining “low-income” as 185% of the federal poverty level rather than the previously designated 133%. The opportunity act also provides for other often under-served groups, increasing funding for special education and English-language learners.
In June, a group of parents from seven school districts filed a lawsuit alleging that the state had denied low-income students and students of color the same education as wealthier, mostly white pupils in the state. The spending gap between affluent and poor communities has been historically cavernous. For example, the Boston Globe reports that in Chelsea, 82% of students are living in poverty, are new to the English language, or have a disability. Each student in the district is afforded $13,857 per year. In well-to-do Weston, on the other hand, only 25% of students face such difficulties, but the town spends almost $10,000 more per student.
Not without controversy
While the new funding formula was heralded by many as a positive step toward educational equity, its passage did not come without controversy. On the eve of the Senate debate, Governor Charlie Baker’s administration released a set of figures that provided a town-by-town overview of the projected local budgetary contribution and state aid. The data, prepared by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, had been closely guarded by Senate leaders who felt that without proper context and explanation, it could be easily misinterpreted. In a social media post, Eldridge called Baker’s release “very disappointing, misleading.” Despite the misleading data, Eldridge stated that after being briefed on the impact on the district he is “satisfied and fully supports the bill.” The Student Opportunity Act has now been referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means; a hearing date has not been set. State Rep. Jen Benson’s office did not return a request for comment.
