Finegold Pushes for Increase in Special Education Funding

This was submitted by the office of State Senator Barry Finegold.

On Friday, Senator Barry Finegold (D—Andover) will file an amendment to the Senate Ways and Means budget to increase the level of reimbursement for the Special Education circuit breaker funding for cities and towns in the Commonwealth.  Senator Finegold’s amendment will request a raise from roughly 50 percent reimbursement to about 75 percent, as funded in the House budget. 

“Funding for special education is one of my top priorities,” Senator Finegold said. “We need to supply our cities and towns with the tools to educate our children, and they absolutely cannot do that without adequate funding. With this increase in reimbursement, school budgets will have more breathing room and our vital special education programs will be better funded.”

Finegold’s amendment has garnered support from fellow senators and constituents. “I’m forming a strong coalition to work towards increasing the level of reimbursement to a rate cities and towns can work with.”

“Funding of the Circuit Breaker at just 50 percent would result in a FY12 Andover School Budget deficit of $533,000,” said Dennis Forge, chairman of the Andover School Committee.  “This deficit amount cannot be absorbed from the regular education portion of the budget.  The FY12 budget already resulted in the elimination of 8 special education teaching positions at Andover High School and three guidance counselors at the middle school level.  Such an unconscionable reduction from the proposed House and Governor's budget proposals places an undue burden on the students, teachers, parents and townspeople of Andover as well as all Massachusetts communities.”