A quibble

Page 4 of the Budget Narrative (p. 15 if you're reading it online) lists at the top of the column Chapter 70 state aid as being a 0% change from last year.
Not exactly.
Worcester's Ch.70 state aid is down $14 million from last year.
The state is filling the hole by giving us federal stimulus money instead.
Here's why that matters:

1. It limits what we can do with the money. If we use federal stimulus money, which counts as grant money, for teachers' salaries, for example, it's assessed at 9% by the teachers' retirement account. Thus some creative reallocations has it all going to special ed.
2. The schools lose some. At least 1% (and possibly 3% if the city manager gets his way) of grants go the the City. That doesn't happen with Ch. 70 aid.