Wednesday, July 18, 2018

We have a state budget (almost)

Gin beat me to the Latin:
You can download the whole 331 pages of H4800 here.
In terms of education, as just about always this budget cycle, "not bad" is the theme. The big news is that the Ch. 70 number is not only the Senate number, it also adopts the Senate language, which not only further added to health insurance implementation, it made English learners an increment above the base!
YES, that's some additional FBRC implementation motion!
If you're in Worcester, note that the conference committee taking the Senate number means there will be a revised budget with additional positions: good news!
It remains a $30/per pupil minimum increase, and 100% gap closing (which was in the Senate version as well). The Ch. 70 line also includes the House-included assistance for districts that were particularly hit by the low income change; that money is to be out to districts by September 1.

What else is going on?
  • The always messy line for DESE (because everyone sticks earmarks in it) is down a bit, but it looks as though that is a matter of what earmarks are in it.
  • METCO comes through at $22.1M, same as the Senate.
  • The early literacy line is up $50K, a bit over $2M in total, with a few earmarks.
  • It looks as though conference committee took a whole bunch of the educational earmarks and stuck them into one line item (7061-1192), so if you're checking for something, you might start there. The line totals $1.6M. The one thing of more general interest is that it includes $50K for the Berkshire County Task Force. 
  • School-to-career connecting activities comes in at $5M, with some earmarks.
  • The line for ELL programs is up $1M from the Senate to $2.5M.
  • Institutional schools is the same as the Senate, at $7.4M.
  • Adult ed comes in at $33.3M. 
  • Regional transportation got the Senate W&M amount of $68.8M.
  • The Senate effort to reimburse transportation for non-resident vocational students came through at $250K.
  • McKinney-Vento reimbursement for homeless students took the higher House number of $9M.
  • The AP line is higher than the Senate at $2.8M (Senate had $2.5M). 
  • The lunch line stays at $5.3M and keeps its $10K earmark for Weymouth.
  • The breakfast line is $4.9M, including earmarks.
  • As above, Ch. 70 largely takes the specifics of the Senate, including the ELL language, though it also includes the $12.5M pothole for low income, which came from the House. The minimum per pupil increase is $30; 100% gap closing. 
Important point on the language in Section 3 for Chapter 70: DESE "shall submit to the house and senate committees on ways and means not later than September 1, 2018 its further recommendations for additional adjustments to the chapter 70 foundation budget calculation for fiscal years 2020 and beyond." This means the Legislature is REQUIRING A REPORT on improving reporting on the calculation of low income students BY SEPTEMBER 1. As this was among the major arguments the House was making in favor of their education funding bill, it appears the budget has now dealt with that.
  • The promised $15M for districts that have students evacuated due to Hurricane Maria is included.
  • Circuit breaker hits an unprecedented $319M; it really looks as though they're trying for full funding! There is a $200K earmark for Best Buddies, as well as $250K for extraordinary relief (for districts seeing extreme increases).
  • District accountability audits are funded at $891K.
  • The federal impact aid makes it in with an increase; now $1.4M.
  • Charter reimbursement takes the House W&M $90M (the Senate had $100M).
  • Innovation schools come through at $200K.
  • Education data analysis is (weirdly down $1514?) $522K.
  • CORRECTION: on the battle over the MCAS: $32M came through (what DESE asked for, the Governor put in, the House amended to, and the Senate didn't have): there is a specific set aside of $1M for the history/civics/social studies assessment.
  • MCIEA gets the Senate (as amended) amount of $400K for development of alternative assessment and accountability.
  • The Accuplacer/JFYNetworks (which at some point someone is going to figure out what they're about) line is $700K.
  • Targeted intervention is up to $7.5M, though $150K of that is for youth workers in Everett and Chelsea.
  • Expanded learning time is $13.9M (same).
  • The line that allows DESE to actually spend the fees it collects from certification on certification rather than having it go back into the general fund made it in.
  • Recovery high schools at $3.1M (same as Senate).
  • After school programs at $4.2M with a lot of earmarks.
  • Safe and supportive schools are up $100K to $700K.
  • WPI's Mass Academy is in $1.5M
  • YouthBuild comes in at the $2.4M of the Senate.
  • Mass Mentoring the same $750K as the Senate.
  • Conference committee did include the $56,920 in regional bonus aid
  • Prevention of child sexual abuse is funded at the same $400K from the Senate.
  • The push for rural school aid yielded real dollars this year, with $1.5M included for "school districts serving fewer than 11 students per square mile" plus a required report on future needs on such aid. 
  • And the summer learning competitive grant program comes in at $500K.
The budget has to be passed by both the House and Senate, then it goes to the Governor, who may veto what he likes. We're running up against the end of the session on the Legislature's ability to override those vetoes.

UPDATE: to note that both chambers had passed the budget by the end of the day.

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