MMA letter to House members regarding the House education bill

Dear Representative,

The education bill before you for debate this week includes important changes to the law governing charter schools and establishes new powers for state and local government to improve education in under-performing schools. While Massachusetts is a national leader in public education, there remains much progress to be made. House 4410 is a progressive measure that is properly focused on improving educational practices and outcomes in the state’s most challenged school districts.

City and town leaders remain seriously concerned about the deep flaws in the charter school funding system, and we strongly urge you to use this opportunity to begin to address this problem. Currently, 199 cities, towns and local school districts suffer from a net loss of $200 million a year due to the current formula, causing serious challenges to programs and budgets that serve over 95 percent of the schoolchildren in these districts. The MMA asks you to support Amendment 49 sponsored by Rep. Karyn Polito and others that would modestly improve the schedule for reimbursing local school districts for a portion of Chapter 70 school aid deducted to pay charter school tuition. The amendment is designed to prevent education aid losses from increasing as the Legislature and Governor contemplate lifting the charter school cap. Amendment 49 would maintain the current reimbursement schedule in years 1 through 3 (100 percent-60 percent-40 percent) and add reimbursements for years 4 through 6 at the 35 percent level in recognition of the basic level of unavoidable costs that remain with a public school district even when a student moves to a charter school. We also ask you to support Amendment 92 sponsored by Rep. Mary Grant and others as the best long-term option for addressing the funding problem. This provision would cap the charter school withholding amount at $5,000 per student and require a state appropriation for the balance of the tuition payment.

The MMA supports several proposed amendments to the laws governing charter schools that would increase the accountability of charter schools to state and local officials, and to taxpayers. We support Amendment 59 sponsored by Rep. Rosemary Sandlin that would require the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to take into account the financial impact on local public schools of any proposal for a new or expanded charter school. We also support Amendments 14, 15, 17-22, 45, 96, 104, 116, 122 that would improve the charter school approval and evaluation process.

Turning around under-performing schools and improving the education of at-risk students is the mission of H. 4410 and a major unfilled promise from the original education reform law. The MMA supports Amendments 37, 38, and 87 that would enhance school improvement. Many of the most important provisions of H. 4410 to improve schools are controversial and would be undone though a number of the amendments that have been filed. We strongly urge you to reject amendments to weaken the bill or undermine much-needed local school district authority.

There are a number of amendments that would create new unfunded state mandates imposing new burdens or requiring school districts to increase spending at a time of declining revenues and budget cuts. We ask that no unfunded mandates be approved. We oppose Amendment 7 that would require school districts to offer excess school building capacity to charter schools even when other education uses might make more sense and be supported by the community.

If you have any questions regarding these important issues and amendments, please do not hesitate to contact MMA Deputy Legislative Director John Robertson or me at any time. Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Geoffrey C. Beckwith
MMA Executive Director