Bill > H412

This bill aims to ensure that school districts receive at least the same amount of funding as the previous year, preventing reductions below a set "foundation budget amount." Chapter 70 of the General Laws outlines how state aid is distributed to cities and towns for education, with the "foundation budget" representing the minimum cost to provide an adequate education. The bill proposes to define "Base aid" in a way that prevents it from dropping below the prior fiscal year's amount and removes existing language that allowed for reductions in net school spending, which is the total amount spent on schools, to fall below the foundation budget. Additionally, it prohibits regulations that would allow a district's foundation budget funding to decrease from one year to the next, and clarifies that aid paid to districts should reflect current enrollment rather than a minimum amount based on the previous year.