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Boston Globe

A new coalition says Massachusetts school districts don't have enough money. Here's why.

Advertisement United for Our Future consists of more than a dozen organizations, including the Massachusetts Teachers Association, American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts, Boston Teachers Union, Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools, Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, Massachusetts PTA, Massachusetts Association of School Committees, and Lawyers for Civil Rights. The unified front has emerged as school committees and superintendents have been frequently locked in contentious contract negotiations with teacher unions, which have included disagreements over pay raises and increasing staff, such as hiring more school counselors. Related : Here's a quick rundown on some of the biggest budget busters: The inflation gap Many districts are still struggling to overcome sky-high inflation during the pandemic because the state's school funding formula failed to keep pace with it. During the 2022-'23 and the 2023-'24 school years, inflation in Massachusetts was just over 7 percent and 8 percent, respectively, but the state's school funding formula, known officially as Chapter 70, increased by only 4.5 percent in each of those years, according to the group. Consequently, districts had to make up the difference. Inflation has dropped since then, but is now on the rise again. On Wednesday, the US Department of Labor announced Advertisement The group is seeking a change to state law so districts don't carry the brunt of high inflation. Related : Increases in special education tuition Students with disabilities are often sent to private programs paid for by their local districts when they are unable to meet students' educational needs. Tuition for state-approved programs climbed by a whopping 14 percent during the 2023-'24 school year and increased by another 4.7 percent this school year, according to the coalition. Costs are expected to rise by another 3.7 percent next year. That's a lot more than what the tuition increases had been previously, which usually hovered around 2.5 percent, the coalition says. The state currently reimburses districts only a portion of those costs and there is no cap on tuition increases, which in turn has been Related : Rising student transportation costs Students heading to private programs also can travel long distances to communities well beyond their hometown borders and occasionally out of state. Most districts rely on private vans for some or all of this busing. The state doesn't regulate how much those companies can charge, giving vendors free rein over how much they charge. The coalition contends districts are getting hit with increases they cannot afford. Last fall, the costs were so unexpectedly high for districts that the state's reimbursement program for these expenses only covered 44 percent of the costs instead of 75 percent, which is called for under state law, according to the coalition. That funding discrepancy created a collective shortfall of more than $60 million for districts statewide, the coalition says. Related : Advertisement More support for rural & regional districts Rural and regional school districts have long argued they are being neglected by state lawmakers as they confront a growing number of challenges, including declining enrollment and a lack of commercial tax revenue to fund their share of costs. Transportation costs for these districts for both general education and special education students can be more expensive because buses tend to travel longer distances, often across community lines, and less competition among transportation companies. The coalition is urging lawmakers to carry through with a recommendation from the Legislature's Rural Schools Commission in 2022 that calls for providing an additional $60 million to rural schools. The group is also imploring lawmakers to fully fund the reimbursements for regional school transportation, which they are supposed to do under state law but have repeatedly fallen short on. James Vaznis can be reached at