Last week’s failure of the Massachusetts legislature to reaffirm the state’s commitment to education by revisiting its school funding formula was another devastating setback to equitably supporting low-income students, primarily students of color. A recent report from the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center found that the formula – known as the foundation budget – underestimates what districts are spending annually on education by at least $2.6 billion.
The legislature’s inaction means that students least served in Massachusetts — namely students of color — will continue an uphill struggle for success in an education system that is stacked against them. The Bay State is often heralded as a national leader when it comes to education, but opportunity gaps too often determined by race, class and zip code continue to undermine our progress as a Commonwealth.