Massachusetts Lawmakers Press Education Officials for Urgent Chapter 70 Funding Formula Fix

BOSTON — March 23, 2026 — Massachusetts lawmakers spent seven hours in Lawrence demanding an overhaul of the Chapter 70 school funding formula as the Student Opportunity Act enters its final year. The Joint Committee on Ways and Means, co-chaired by Senator Pavel M. Payano and Representative Patricia A. Duffy, convened the fiscal year 2027 budget hearing at Lawrence High School, where Acting Mayor Giovanni Rodriguez noted the city spends more than $23,000 per student annually and more than 90 percent of its 13,000 students are classified as high-need. Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Pedro Martinez confirmed a local contribution formula study will not yield recommendations before its June 30, 2026 deadline, drawing pointed responses from Senator Kelly A. Dooner — "I don't want to hear the same thing next time" — and Representative Todd M. Smola, who warned the House budget debate begins in four weeks. The governor's proposed $9.1 billion K-12 appropriation, a record and a $422.8 million increase over fiscal year 2026, would designate approximately 80 percent of districts as minimum aid districts receiving just $75 per pupil, far below the $150 per pupil threshold advocates and multiple committee members demanded. The Massachusetts Municipal Association called for raising Unrestricted General Government Aid to $351 million, while Lawrence Teachers Union President Kimberly Barry warned that immigration enforcement had already cost Lawrence approximately $10 million in projected enrollment-based funding.