The bill amends Section 16-7.2-3 of the General Laws under "The Education Equity and Property Tax Relief Act" to establish a permanent foundation education aid formula. This formula will calculate foundation education aid for each district based on a core instruction amount and additional support for high-need students, which will be adjusted according to the district's state-share ratio. The core instruction amount will be derived from regional expenditure data and updated annually, while the support for high-need students will include factors for poverty status and multilingual learners.

The bill requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop alternatives to increase the amount of state education aid to districts based on poverty density levels within districts. By October 1, 2025, the department must propose these funding alternatives as part of its budget submission for state fiscal year 2027. The proposal will consider the methodology currently employed in Massachusetts and will include expense data sourced from the uniform chart of accounts to recommend funding levels required to support students from various levels of poverty density. The submission shall also detail the impact of each alternative on both state and district levels.

The act will take effect upon passage, aiming to enhance educational equity and support for districts with high rates of poverty.

Statutes affected:
331: 16-7.2-3