Parents take school funding battle to State House
Published on April 11th, 2001
STONEHAM , MA- Detouring from the norm, Stoneham parents boarded a school bus on the morning of April 5. The State House express carried 20 sign-waving crusaders into Boston to tell lawmakers that Stoneham folks will fight for their fair share of Chapter 70 public school funding.
Legislators and citizens discussed many bills — including several relevant to Chapter 70 — at the day-long public hearing. The April 5 journey of the Stonehamites was a direct continuation of the March 19 meeting organized by parent Linda Corapi and friends.
“Communities with similar property values and income levels (to Stoneham) receive as much as $500 more per pupil,” Corapi told the State House crowd. The central point of her argument is that the funding formula of the 1993 Education Reform Act (Chapter 70) has not given Stoneham a fair share.
Corapi is most interested in the proposed “equalization fund,” Senate Bill 330, sponsored by State Senator Richard Tisei (R-3rd Middlesex).
This bill, which allows communities arguably slighted by Education Reform to petition the state for additional funding, may be just what Stoneham needs.
“If this (Senate 330) becomes part of the state budget in July, we could see some additional money this year,” Corapi said.
However, fellow passenger John Warren, a Stoneham Finance Board member, was not as optimistic. He cautioned that Stoneham shouldn’t count on any money this year.
“If it happens great, but realistically, if the bill passes, we won’t see any money until July 2002,” Warren said.
Newly elected Selectman Tony Kennedy emphasized the importance of being proactive.
“If we look at our Chapter 70 issues a year ahead of time, we have time to get our act together,” Kennedy said.
Many hours of research has been done by a great number of local residents. This information was passed along to legislators on April 5 along with impassioned words.
The parents and children of Stoneham anxiously await the final fiscal 2002 state budget due this summer. How the state handles Chapter 70 will affect the future budgets and, finally, students of Stoneham schools.
To view and discuss a more detailed analysis of Chapter 70, call the Finance Board at 781-279-2631.
Subscribe and get Home Delivery of The Independent
Save 36% off the newstand price — that's like 18 FREE issues!