House and Senate Announce Joint Local Aid Resolution

Posted byAnne Johnson Landry 4 Comments on House and Senate Announce Joint Local Aid Resolution

House and Senate leaders have announced an agreement to increase local aid by $125 million in the FY15 budget. Here, you will find a chart providing an evolution of local aid proposals and distributions for the communities Senator Brownsberger has represented. The chart has been updated to reflect the numbers proposed in the Joint Local Aid Resolution.

Anne Johnson Landry
Committee Counsel and Policy Advisor
Office of State Senator William N. Brownsberger

Published by Anne Johnson Landry

Anne works as Committee Counsel and Policy Advisor to Senator Brownsberger.

4 replies on “House and Senate Announce Joint Local Aid Resolution”

  1. A few comments on these numbers:

    1. Both branches adopted this agreement by votes on the resolution this week.
    2. The joint resolution keeps the Governor’s education aid (Chapter 70) numbers and increases his general local aid (UGGA) amount across the board by 2.8%.
    3. The Governor’s numbers do take important steps to address the inequities in Chapter 70 that especially affect Watertown.
    4. The numbers more or less final — unlikely to go up and all but certain not to go down. The goal of an early local aid resolution is to give municipalities early information so they can better plan their budgets. The rest of the state’s budget won’t get finalized until June.
    5. The big variable that remains open is the special ed circuit breaker amount and that will continue to be an important advocacy priority for me.
    6. Among the communities that I represent, Watertown received the biggest Chapter 70 increase — it has historically received less than it is entitled under the wealth-based formula. Boston, which is grandfathered at a level well above its need under the wealth-based formula, received the smallest percentage increase.
    7. On the other hand, Boston benefits most from the UGGA increase.
    8. Belmont receives the largest total percentage increase, but that reflects that it receives such a small amount of slower-growing UGGA aid.

  2. Update: The House, in starting its budget debate this week declined to revisit this resolution. It is unlikely that the Senate will reopen this issue either. Planners should consider these numbers final.

    We’re still working on other education reimbursement items for local school districts:

    • Special Education (“circuit breaker”)
    • Charter School
    • McKinney-Vento homeless transportation

    Special ed is important to all of of my districts — Boston, Watertown and Belmont. The latter two are of particular importance to Boston schools.

    These will be priorities for me over the next few weeks of budget debate.

  3. Dear Senator Brownsberger,

    Thank you for the news on local aid and for your continuing advocacy for more funding. I am part of the Watertown Strong Schools initiative with which I am sure you are familiar. The increase you outline is welcomed news as we fight to reverse the decline in Watertown Public Schools.

    Thank you,
    Alice Holt

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