Public school funding comes primarily from two places: the state, and the city/town school district. The state consistently underfunds all public schools, but wealthier cities and towns use their own funds to make up the difference between the “foundation budget” and the actual cost of giving students a quality education. This practice perpetuates inequalities, as wealthier districts can afford to put extra money into their schools, while schools in poorer districts are severely underfunded. The state’s wealthiest school districts spend over 40% more per student than the state’s poorest school districts.

Further reading: MassBudget: Building an Education System that Works for Everyone

It is a myth that public schools cannot use funding efficiently. In fact, many public schools have been increasing class sizes in an effort to save money, and many public school teachers have to buy their own supplies.

The Foundation Budget Review Commission (“FBRC”) has already researched what a reasonable budget would be for a public school. The FBRC was a bipartisan group; their findings should not have been controversial. The problem is not a lack of research; the problem is a lack of political will on Beacon Hill to fund education.