The $14 million gap

While the article regarding the school funding deficit in Wednesday's Telegram and Gazette did not specifically reference Worcester, the chart appending the article did, and it had a big number:

$14 million


First, a word on what this means: the foundation budget, you will remember from last year, is basically a bargain that the state has with the cities: we give you so much for education (through Chapter 70 funding) and you, the city, put in so much more on top of it. It's based on things like the municipal growth index (a lot of things, and oft debated ones). Net school spending takes the Chapter 70 funding and adds how much the city has to give under the foundation formula (or how much the city does give, if it's more than foundation).

Here's where this gets squirrelly: the foundation budget formula is legally binding. I know I've harped on this before and I will try not to harp on it now, but the entirety of Ed Reform, including the foundation formula, was in response to a settlement of a lawsuit over insufficient funding of education by the state. The cities have to give education that amount and so does the state.

But this year, as it is level-funding Chapter 70, the state ISN'T giving enough, in some cases. In Worcester, we're underfunded by $14 million dollars, which in dollar terms is the highest gap in the state.

So what happens?

If the federal money comes through (are we hearing that a lot lately?), and the state uses it to make up the gap, everything could be okay on this gap.

If not...we know what happens when one reneges on a settlement, right?