Baker to fully fund Student Opportunity Act
More funds for struggling districts
Gov. Charlie Baker said he will fully fund the first year of the Student Opportunity Act in the fiscal year 2022 budget proposal he’s expected to unveil next week.
“We’re pleased to continue making these important investments in our schools and our communities,” Baker said during a virtual appearance at the Massachusetts Municipal Association’s annual meeting.
The landmark education bill Baker signed in 2019 was intended to pump $1.5 billion into K-12 schools over seven years. Among its goals was to boost funds for cities and towns facing additional costs and fully reimbursing charter schools at the proper level. But the pandemic disrupted implementation of the first year of the program.
Last January, Baker proposed a nearly $304 million increase in Chapter 70 state aid for education in fiscal 2021. In July, as the pandemic wreaked havoc on the economy, the Baker administration announced local and school aid would be level-funded. In December, Baker signed a budget providing an additional $108 million in school aid to cover inflation and enrollment.
Baker said Friday he would keep his “commitment to local school districts by fully funding the first year of the Student Opportunity Act” but did not give a dollar amount. Annual cost estimates range upward of $300 million.
Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said on Thursday that Baker’s proposal will include a $39.5 million increase in local aid, which would raise those funds to $1.168 billion and give municipalities an extra $112,535 on average.
Baker said he would also file legislation authorizing another $200 million in Chapter 90 funding for road and bridge improvements.
The governor is expected to file his budget proposal on Wednesday and could offer more details on his plan during his State of the Commonwealth address Tuesday night.
As fallout continues from the deadly U.S. Capitol riot, Baker also reiterated his calls for cooler tempers and said “the national debate could learn a lot” from the more bipartisan workings of state and local government.
“What you say can either take the temperature down or turn it up. What you say can either help people find a way to work together or do just the opposite,” Baker said. “There’s always a thing about how talk is cheap. I got news for you: Talk, in this particular case, makes a really big difference, and I think that was proven big time by the activity and the actions and the sort of march and assault on the Capitol.”