Rural schools in Western Massachusetts could be in line for a financial boost next fiscal year, should the $3 million for the Rural School Aid grant program proposed by state Sen. Adam Hinds remain in the final state budget.
“We’re confident it’ll end up in the final budget,” the Pittsfield Democrat said.
Rural School Aid is a Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) grant program that provides money for schools with low population densities and lower-than-average incomes.
The money distributed by DESE is separate from Chapter 70 funding and is intended to supplement the operating budgets of eligible school districts.
Which school districts receive this money, and how much, would be determined by DESE if the money passes in the final budget, Hinds said.
The program began two years ago after a DESE study found that rural schools pay more than counterparts in more populous areas of the state for the level of education that they provide.
While the money wasn’t in the House budget this year, Hinds got $1.5 million included in the Senate budget before raising this amount to $3 million on the Senate floor.
Hinds said the funding formula for schools doesn’t take into account the challenges faced by rural schools, and that during the pandemic rural schools are “finding more and more costs.”
Hinds also said the money is part of the effort to provide equal opportunities for education “regardless of ZIP code.”
“We need to make sure we have the best schools around,” he said.
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.