As we're all still looking for a budget in Massachusetts

As I tweeted out this morning, I think it's crucial for folks to understand that though their districts are passing budgets--as they are required to by state law!--districts, particularly those that are most dependent on state aid genuinely do not know what their budgets for next year will be.
We can't, without a state budget.
We're passing numbers and allocating funds, yes, but those may well not be where we end up.

This article in Commonwealth Magazine from Shira Shoenberg gives a possibility on the state budget that indicates we may not know for some time:

 ...behind the scenes, state policymakers appear to be discussing a budget that is done jointly and for an interim time period, although the exact length is uncertain. 

On the short end, doing an interim budget through July or August would give lawmakers a chance to see if Congress passes another federal stimulus bill before the August recess. It would also let the Department of Revenue collect last year’s state income taxes, since the deadline for filing was extended from April 15 to July 15. 

On the longer end, there could be a political incentive to craft a budget that goes through November, so lawmakers do not have to pass a full-year austerity budget before they face reelection. Doing a budget for just half a year could also give lawmakers more time to monitor medical advances and know, for example, when a vaccine might become available, which could allow for a fuller economic reopening.

Were that the case, of course, we would not only be opening schools without knowing our budgets; we'd be running schools for several months without one.