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PITTSFIELD For Massachusetts to fund schools and transportation sufficiently, supporters of a 2022 ballot question say, its top earners need to pay a bit more in taxes.
A year ago, with the Massachusetts economy hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, state lawmakers thought they would need to close a budget gap of $5 billion to $8 billion.
State Sen. Adam Hinds, D-Pittsfield, chairs the Senate revenue working group, and he was asked to shift that groupâs work to focus on ways for the state to bring in additional tax dollars, he told The Eagle.
âEverything,â he said, was on the table so that the state could avoid spending cuts.
A year later, the House and Senate have passed budgets for fiscal years 2021 and 2022 that avoided significant revenue proposals. Better-than-expected tax collections, a withdrawal from the ârainy dayâ fund and a new round of federal assistance, lawmakers said, helped fill in the gaps.
Lawmakers say launch of Rural Schools Commission ‘a big win’ for region
ADAM HINDS
GREENFIELD State Sen. Adam Hinds and state Rep. Natalie Blais recently chaired the first meeting of the state’s Rural Schools Commission, and they expect that the panel will have recommendations by the end of the year for how to permanently fund rural school districts.
The commission is tasked with identifying long-term solutions to the issues that are unique to schools in rural areas, though Hinds, D-Pittsfield, said other schools that have low or declining enrollment could end up being included as well.
“This is a continuation of the Student Opportunity Act process,” Hinds said. “The work of this commission is crucial to ensure all students in the state receive a quality education, no matter their ZIP code or distance from the state capital.”
Chairs say launch of Rural Schools Commission ‘a big win’ for region
HINDS
Published: 5/12/2021 6:37:36 PM
GREENFIELD State Sen. Adam Hinds and state Rep. Natalie Blais recently chaired the first meeting of the state’s Rural Schools Commission, and they expect that the body will have recommendations by the end of the year for how to permanently fund rural school districts.
The commission is tasked with identifying long-term solutions to the issues that are unique to schools in rural areas, though Hinds, D-Pittsfield, said other schools that have low or declining enrollment could end up being included as well.
“This is a continuation of the Student Opportunity Act process,” Hinds said. “The work of this commission is crucial to ensure all students in the state receive a quality education, no matter their ZIP code or distance from the state capital.”