Guest column: Legislative gaffe subtracts from Student Opportunity Act

In 2019, the Massachusetts Legislature passed the Student Opportunity Act.

This law was years in the making and hailed as a groundbreaking reform effort that would advance excellence and equity in public education in our state. This year, the Legislature generously funded the Student Opportunity Act as planned, adding substantial dollars to the coffers of historically underfunded districts across our state.

This action continues to lead us in the right direction to assuring access to a sound and rigorous education for every child regardless of residence. Unfortunately, the Legislature failed to address a significant flaw in the education foundation budget formula by neglecting to account for the full impact of recent levels of inflation on school district budgets.

The failure of the Legislature to address this issue means that it is taking away from historically underfunded districts with one hand what it is giving with the other, so eroding the work of the Student Opportunity Act.

According to the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, addressing the flaw in the budget formula for fiscal year 2025 would bring much-needed funds to districts across the state, particularly in Gateway Cities.

Springfield would receive the largest infusion of funding at $28.5 million. Worcester would be close behind at nearly $26 million, effectively resolving the district’s current $22 million deficit and ensuring that the district has the important state funds to maintain its current services.

In June, the Worcester School Committee passed a budget that included painful cuts to meet the challenge of this $22 million shortfall. While district leadership made every effort to ensure thoughtful and carefully considered cuts and reorganization, the budget nevertheless results in the layoffs of over 160 school personnel and vital contracted services including 86 teachers, 70 student-support personnel and five school psychologists.

These cuts, forced upon the district due to legislative inaction, threaten to disrupt some of the progress that the district has made in enhancing special education services, reducing class size, increasing access to special and enrichment programs and expanding the diversity of the workforce.

These changes could have ripple effects on the education workforce. New-to-service teachers who are released could seek employment in other districts with more financial stability, or leave the profession completely and bring their talent and enthusiasm to other sectors. Our students will continue to have their education shortchanged compared to their peers in higher-wealth districts.

Additionally, these budget challenges stemming from inadequate state funding hit at a time when our schools and students are still wrestling with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Student achievement in reading and mathematics is down nationally and in districts across the state — urban, suburban and rural — with only approximately 40% of third- to eighth-grade students demonstrating proficiency in ELA and math on standardized assessments.

Schools have also noted, supported by research from the National Academy of Pediatrics, significant deficits in the social and emotional skills needed for learning. Now is not the time to compromise school funds that would address these very real needs and the continued acquisition of the tools, human resource capacity and systems necessary to deliver the kind of education our young people need to be competitive nationally and globally.

Many of our Worcester legislators recognized this funding problem and advocated with their colleagues to address the flaw in the education funding formula. Out of concern for shortfalls in expected state revenues, legislative leaders resisted their calls to act. However, recent state revenue has exceeded expectations. Should revenues hold or continue in an upward direction, it will be important for the Legislature and the governor to adjust the Chapter 70 inflation factor to reflect current economic realities using a supplemental budget or other mechanism.

For decades, educators and policymakers on Beacon Hill and in communities across Massachusetts have worked assiduously to fulfill the promise of education reform in our commonwealth. This work brought us the 1993 Massachusetts Education Reform Act, the 2010 Act to Address the Achievement Gap and the 2019 Student Opportunity Act.

Each of these landmark pieces of legislation took years of research and advocacy and required the reconciliation of short- and long-term budget realities and projections with public aspirations and expectations for teaching and learning.

The same balanced approach should be followed in addressing the flaw in the Chapter 70 funding formula. Whether a solution is made in a single action or over time will be important to contemplate. But a solution must be found. Our children’s future depends on it. The quality of life in the commonwealth now, and into the future, depends on it.

Kimberly M. Salmon is the parent of a student in the Worcester Public Schools and a lifelong resident of the city.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Guest column: Legislative gaffe subtracts from Student Opportunity Act