Archived Information

DOE Budget

Final FY02 Appropriations for K-12 State Aid Programs

The Governor signed the final FY02 state budget into law on December 1, 2001. Detailed information on Chapter 70 aid is posted elsewhere on this website. Here is a summary of the budget's provisions with respect to other K-12 state aid programs.

• Enrollment growth aid - $5 million in extra aid has been appropriated for districts which have had high enrollment growth in recent years. Thirty districts meet the legislatively-established requirements for this aid. Qualifying districts will receive grant award letters from the Department; funds may be expended at the discretion of the school committee without further appropriation by the municipality. These amounts will also be added to the districts' Chapter 70 base aid in FY03.

• Tuition for state wards program - No funds have been appropriated for this program. Districts are reminded that state wards should be counted in your foundation enrollment, for purposes of calculating Chapter 70 aid.

• School building assistance - Full funding has been provided for all current payment obligations. The budget authorizes new grant awards for up to 42 projects, but because the FY03 fiscal situation is still very uncertain, the Board of Education is expected to award only 19 grants this year.

• Foundation reserve ("pothole") program - No funds have been appropriated for this program.

• Transportation aid - Regional transportation aid was fully funded, and we expect that reimbursements will be made at or near the 100% level. Transportation aid for local (non-regional) districts was again level funded.

• Charter tuition reimbursements - This appropriation was reduced from an expected $35.2 million to $32.8 million, which will probably not be enough to fully fund all reimbursements. Reimbursements will be prorated, probably in the range of 80-85%. Detailed estimates of charter school tuition payments and reimbursements, based on October 1 enrollment data, will be posted on this website by the end of December.

• Special education payments - The "50/50" payment program for residential school placements was fully funded. The appropriation for private school payments for abandoned children was reduced by 7%. Payments will be made for placements already approved under this program, but there will be few, if any, new approvals from the waiting list.

In addition, funding for a number of categorical grant programs was reduced. Districts will be notified directly of any changes to previously-awarded grants.

Information on the Board of Education's FY03 budget request is also being posted on our website.

12/6/01

FY02 Enrollment Growth Aid