Winners, losers in state aid
Wealthier schools gain in rule change
A different state funding formula for school systems continued to reward some of the region's wealthier communities, which received double-digit increases in aid this year from the recently passed state budget.
Some of the well-to-do communities getting a big boost from a year ago in Chapter 70 school aid are Duxbury, Scituate, and Westwood. Duxbury and Westwood also benefited from big increases last year.
Braintree received the largest percentage increase in the region, 27.3 percent, which amounted to $9.5 million. Ten systems received less than a 4 percent hike, including Holbrook and Hull, with each getting less than 2 percent. The average increase in the region was slightly more than 7 percent.
School officials said changes in the funding formula were made because some districts had felt shortchanged.
"We weren't getting our fair share in the past," said Peter Kurzberg, superintendent of the 5,200-student Braintree school system.
Yet Braintree and other school systems still face financial challenges as costs continue to soar on everything from fuel to healthcare. Kurzberg said he would not be filling 3.5 teacher slots in the system, which has about 390 teachers.
The $28.1 billion state budget, signed into law last week by Governor Deval Patrick, contains about $3.3 billion in Chapter 70 money for communities, up from about $3.1 billion last year.
State aid to education fluctuates as a result of changes in enrollment, municipal revenue, and as a result of a new formula for reimbursement being phased in over five years, said Jonathan Considine, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Education.
This is the third year of the formula, under which every school district will eventually receive at least 17.5 percent of its base budget from Chapter 70, adjusted for differences in a community's prop erty values and residents' income.
The formula used to give more weight to income levels, so that wealthier communities received smaller increases in aid than those with poorer residents. Now, property values and personal income are figured in equally. That means that during the five-year transition, larger percentage increases are going to some of the wealthier communities.
"We definitely had an increase more than some other communities, but it's because they are trying to equalize it a little more," said Patricia Oakley, superintendent in West Bridgewater, which had a 15.3 percent hike.
In Milton, where 12 teaching and five support positions have been eliminated, the schools netted an increase of about $400,000, said Superintendent Mary Gormley. The district has a budget of about $32 million.
Communities that received smaller increases in aid face difficult budget challenges.
In Sharon, Superintendent Barbara Dunham said the 2.6 percent increase was not enough to keep up with basic budget increases, which ran about 4.5 to 5 percent. However, because of fiscal moves last year - for example, not filling jobs when someone left - the system has enough resources to get through the year without cuts.
But it will be tough next year if state aid is in the same range, she said. "We'll be looking at cuts, for sure," she said. "I hope we don't have to."
In Carver, Superintendent Elizabeth Sorrell said a 3 percent increase was actually an improvement over last year, when the system received slightly less. Still, the district is struggling, she said, pointing out that class sizes have increased. Through retirements and layoffs, there are 11 fewer teaching positions than a year ago.
There is little appetite in town for a property tax override, Sorrell said.
"People are struggling with their own bills."
Globe correspondent Connie Paige contributed to this report. Matt Carroll can be reached at mcarroll@globe.com.
