MA House Budget Would Allocate More Money For Brookline METCO

BROOKLINE, MA — Brookline will have a little more money coming from the state in a few areas if the budget that the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed for FY 2021 is approved, according to State Rep. Tommy Vitolo.

"I worked with my colleagues advocating for a budget that brought additional funds to help Brookline students," Vitolo said. The legislator from Brookline advocated for increasing funds for METCO and Chapter 70, and amendments to the final budget that included $25,000 for Steps to Success and an expansion of access to abortion in Massachusetts.

"The budget process can be difficult to navigate, especially during these challenging times, but the funds we allocated will help those in need in Brookline and throughout the Commonwealth," he said in a statement.

The $25,000 Steps to Success allocation matches last year’s budget allocation. Steps to Success provides out of school time and enrichment for more than 300 public school students who live in Brookline public housing every year.

There is also a $856,000 allocation in this year’s state budget for Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities, another of the first-year Brookline Representative’s budget priorities. In addition, the House budget significantly increased funding for Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation and METCO over prior years.

The budget also added a provision that would codify abortion rights in Massachusetts law.

The Senate will now debate its own budget before the two budgets come together for a final vote.