On Thursday, July 18, the Budget Conference Committee released its FY25 budget proposal, which was passed by both chambers the following day. On Monday, July 29, Governor Healey signed the FY25 state budget that includes the following.
Within Chapter 70 state aid, the Conference Committee has adopted the House $104 per pupil minimum amount, rather than the Senate’s higher $110 per pupil amount.
Both chambers funded another year of school meals; the Conference Committee budget uses the Senate’s lesser $170M to fund this program for this coming year; this does not represent full reimbursement to districts.
The special education circuit breaker was adopted for FY25 at an amount higher than both chambers, at $493M. Charter tuition reimbursement ($199M), regional transportation reimbursement ($99.5M), and homeless transportation reimbursement ($26.7M) were the same in both chambers and were adopted at those levels. The Conference Committee did fund non-residential vocational transportation at the $1M adopted in the Senate budget.
The rural school assistance funding was passed as a compromise between House and Senate at $16M, $1M higher than last year. METCO is funded in the conference committee budget at $29.9M. While the Conference Committee budget funded after and out-of-school grants at $11.5M, Governor Healey vetoed $3M, bringing it back to her recommendation of $8.6M, with the veto message “increased funding in this budget for local school aid will mitigate impacts from this reduction.”
Also subject to Gubernatorial vetoes was the $250,000 for financial literacy education; $1.3M for advanced placement math and science, bringing that to just over $2M; $875,000 for statewide college and career readiness; $2.4M in extended learning time grants; $300,000 in mentoring grants; $2M in student wellness school supports; and $7.5M for the teacher diversity initiative, bringing that to $2.5M.
Free school meals; the minimum per pupil increase of $74 over the required $30; a mental and behavioral health grant of $5M; as well as several higher education efforts and further transportation spending are funded through Fair Share funds in the FY25 budget.
The early literacy initiative proposed by the Governor is funded at a compromise number of $20M.
The Senate has declined to take up the veto overrides passed by the House. As such, the above vetoes will stand.