The Massachusetts Senate, led by Sen. Sal DiDomenico and his colleagues, recently approved a $41.49 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2019. The spending plan directs resources toward targeted investments designed to create economic opportunities and ensure that individuals, children and families have access to the resources necessary to thrive in their communities and the broader economy. Key funding areas include education, local aid, health and human services, housing, and support for low income families.
According to Sen. DiDomenico, who serves as Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate, “fblikebutton_button” “After careful deliberation, the Senate has passed a thoughtful budget that both reflects the shared priorities of our chamber and addresses the pressing needs of our communities. This budget includes key investments in many of my top priority items that will have a positive and direct impact on Chelsea, and I am happy to report that all of my amendments providing additional resources for our community were adopted to the final Senate budget. I would like to thank Senate Ways & Means Chairwoman Karen Spilka and Senate President Harriette Chandler for all of their great work to craft a budget that will undoubtedly help to move our entire Commonwealth forward.”
Education receives substantial investment across all age groups and backgrounds, with particular emphasis on elementary and secondary education. The budget allocates $4.91B for the Chapter 70 education formula, marking its highest funding level to date. Every school district in the state will receive a minimum aid increase of $30 per pupil, and the budget provides 100% effort reduction to bring all school districts to their target local contribution. Under this Senate budget, Chelsea will receive $77.4M in Chapter 70 funds, representing a $4.3M increase compared to the state funding the city received in the previous fiscal year.
The budget also addresses a significant challenge faced by school districts including Chelsea and Everett: the costs associated with educating economically disadvantaged students. The legislation allows these districts to count their students more accurately. Gateway City school districts have struggled with substantial budget gaps since 2015, when the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) changed its methodology for calculating low-income or “economically disadvantaged” students. This calculation is crucial to the Chapter 70 formula, which determines state funding levels for school districts.
The previous methodology limited the economically disadvantaged category to students registered for social welfare programs such as SNAP and Medicaid, thereby excluding thousands of additional low-income students who do not access these services. The Senate budget now permits communities to select their preferred method for counting economically disadvantaged students, enabling Chelsea to account for all of its students in this category.
DiDomenico expressed enthusiasm about this change, stating “I am thrilled that this change has been included in the FY19 Senate budget. This is a solution that I have long been advocating for, and I am confident this will have a major impact on the amount of Chapter 70 funding schools in my district will receive and will go a long way towards remedying the fiscal challenges that our local schools have been facing.”
In his role as Assistant Majority Leader, Sen. DiDomenico secured several amendments that direct additional funding to his local communities. The Senator obtained a combined $100K in additional resources for Chelsea:
- $25,000 for CONNECT, a financial opportunity center located in Chelsea
- $75,000 to support a youth social worker position in the Chelsea Public Schools
The budget also promotes self-sufficiency and economic mobility for low income families through targeted programs and policy changes, equipping families with essential resources and workforce development skills. Notable policy modifications include:
- Elimination of the family cap, a policy championed by Sen. DiDomenico that currently denies Department of Transitional Assistance benefits to children conceived while families receive assistance
- An increase in the child clothing allowance to $350 per child, up $50 from FY18, to assist families in meeting basic needs
- An increase in the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) state match to 30% of the federal credit
Several additional priority initiatives championed by Sen. DiDomenico appear in the Fiscal Year 2019 Senate Budget and will benefit Chelsea residents:
- $3.8 million for the state’s pediatric palliative care network to eliminate wait lists for these essential services, ensuring children and families receive necessary support;
- $319.3 million to fully fund the Special Education Circuit Breaker;
- $100 million to reimburse school districts for costs incurred when students enroll in charter schools;
- $8.7 million for Childcare Resource and Referral Centers to increase caseworker salaries and reduce caseloads for those assisting parents, childcare providers, employers and community groups in navigating early education options;
- $4 million for Youth-At-Risk Matching grants, supporting YWCAs, YMCAs and Boys & Girls Clubs;
- $33.4 million for adult basic education services to expand access to workforce development skills and resources;
- $10.3 million for summer employment and work-readiness training programs targeting at-risk youth;
- $16 million for the Massachusetts Cultural Council to support local arts, culture and creative economy initiatives;
- $16.2 million for local Councils on Aging to enhance programs and services in senior centers statewide;
- $142.9 million for substance abuse treatment, intervention and recovery support services, including funding to establish five new recovery centers; and
- $18.5 million for Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT), which includes $3 million to expand eligibility to persons with disabilities, seniors, unaccompanied youth and individuals.
A Conference Committee will reconcile differences between the Senate budget and the House version passed in April. Fiscal Year 2019 commences on July 1.