This is, with my emphasis added, is the slide that matters the most right now (thanks, Brian Allen for sharing it!). If you read the Boston Globe, you may have caught that some cities are unhappy about who is and who isn't getting stimulus funding, as you see Boston is not in the above.
We need to go back a step, though: the reason that Worcester is getting stimulus funding is that the state is leaving us $14 million in the hole on Chapter 70 funding. The Governor underbudgeted Worcester's Chapter 70 aid by $14 million dollars.
But it gets worse.
Look at the numbers under Boston.
Yes, Boston isn't getting stimulus money for education. It is, however, getting just over $23 million more from the state than is required under the foundation formula.
Huh?
Worcester is $14 million underfunded and Boston is $23 million over?
I'd say the problem doesn't begin with where the stimulus funding is going. Let's go back to the state budget and fight our battles there. I urge you all to get this chart to your state legislators and ask them just what is going on here.
Tracy, do you have the source for this chart? Was it in the globe or a state website?
ReplyDeleteYes, it was created by Brian Allen, who is the financial mastermind, sorry, officially the Chief Financial Officer, at WPS.
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