On Tuesday afternoon Nichole Lee (Director of Education Finance, Agency of Education) joined the House Ways & Means Committee to review updates from the Town Meeting Day votes on school budgets. Out of 119 budgets, 30 failed, 19 were delayed, and 8 have been re-warned.

The budgets that failed represent almost 40% of all students in the state so it is quite significant. The Agency of Education is not prepared to offer a re-estimate of overall spending, however, the passed budgets lock in $741M in spending.

The delayed and defeated budgets represent $1.09B in spending that has yet to be approved.

NOTE: The number of students represented by passed vs failed budgets are equal at 40%. Because failed budgets represent about $100M less in spending, this would indicate that the districts which were successful in passing budgets on Town Meeting Day had a higher cost per student than those that failed.

The Committee is expecting a school construction bill from the House Education Committee, as well cooperative services, and community schools that will “get added to the mix of reforms”.