Investing in Our Students Benefits Us All

By Senator Katherine Clark

The budget approved last month by the Senate wisely invests in our students and our communities, providing $130 million in new education funding.  For the second year in a row, the budget includes funding I advocated to benefit communities facing inequities in the Chapter 70 funding formula.  It also increases funding for special education services and early intervention, will reduce preschool waitlists by 2,000 children, and provides more reimbursements to cities and towns. 

The state’s investment supports our schools while also helping to alleviate some fiscal pressure on local budgets.  The state has a responsibility to provide the support that will benefit all students. 

The Special Education Circuit Breaker provides a compelling illustration. The intent of the program is to reimburse local school districts for costs associated with educating severely high-needs special education students.  We know that high-quality services for these students must begin at an early age.   

The program came about, in part, based on research by the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (MASS) in the late 1990s and early 2000s.  The researchers found that the Commonwealth was not making the necessary investments in our most vulnerable students.  Further, by not adequately funding the costs of educating students with severe disabilities, the state was compromising the ability of our school districts to implement instructional improvements and needed reforms for all kids. 

As a former Chair of the Melrose School Committee, this research confirmed what school districts across the state were experiencing then: that more funding was needed to provide the best possible educational experience to all students in an inclusive environment.

This was the impetus for the Special Education Circuit Breaker, which began in 2004.  The program is designed for the state to reimburse about 75 percent of a school district’s costs for certain special education programming.  In addition, services for very at-risk students, such as those who are homeless or wards of the state, are reimbursed at 100 percent. 

However, in recent years, the reimbursement rate had fallen considerably.  We were moving backwards in our services and commitment to students and cities and towns.

Beginning in 2011, I spearheaded efforts in the Senate to bring the reimbursement rate back up, and the legislature acted.  The Senate budget for this year will fully fund the state’s contribution to reimburse school districts.  I am very pleased that the Senate supported this important investment, and I will continue to advocate its inclusion in the final state budget.

The Special Education Circuit Breaker is just one example of a larger objective: the Commonwealth and local governments must work together to ensure that our schools have the resources they need to educate all kids for a lifetime of success. 

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