THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2026 Page 5 MASS. HOUSE | FROM Page 1 “I’m proud to support a budget that delivers real results for our communities, from record local aid for our cities and towns to critical investments in transportation, education, and public safety,” said State Representative Jessica Ann Giannino (DRevere). “For communities like Revere and Saugus, this means stronger schools, more reliable transit, and continued support for working families. Even in a time of economic uncertainty, we are making responsible choices that prioritize people, protect essential services, and ensure our municipalities have the resources they need to succeed. I’m grateful to Speaker Mariano and Chair Michlewitz for their leadership in advancing a budget that delivers for every corner of the Commonwealth.” “I am proud to have supported the House budget for FY27. This budget includes important investments in Revere and Winthrop but also unprecedented investments in our transportation and education systems in the Commonwealth. This budget is fi scally sound and keeps the Commonwealth in a strong position to address uncertain economic times ahead,” said State Representative Jeff rey Rosario Turco (D-Winthrop). Due to responsible fi scal management, the House’s FY27 budget is balanced and makes signifi cant investments across several issue areas, without needing to include new taxes or tax increases. The House budget also strengthens the Stabilization Fund, which is set to reach $8.39 billion, reinforcing the state’s bond rating to keep borrowing costs down and save taxpayer money — while protecting the Commonwealth’s longterm fi scal health. Fair Share investments This budget includes $2.7 billion in investments for transportation and education initiatives supported through funding generated by the Fair Share ballot initiative that voters approved in November of 2022, which established a surtax of four percent on annual income above $1 million. The education and transportation investments: Education Student Opportunity Act Expansion — $550,586,435 Child Care Grants to Providers — $365,000,000 Universal School Meals — $198,000,000 Free Community College — $127,048,000 DCF and DTA Related Child Care — $119,446,796 Income Eligible Child Care — $114,718,769 Financial Aid Expansion — $85,000,000 School Transportation Reimbursements — $62,000,000 Minimum Per Pupil Aid — $52,200,000 State University SUCCESS grants— $18,000,000 Community College SUCCESS — $18,000,000 Targeted Scholarships — $10,000,000 Green School Works — $5,000,000 TOTAL — $1,725,000,000 Transportation Mass Transportation Trust Fund — $220,168,000 MBTA — $470,000,000 Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) — $184,832,000 Health and Human Services Transportation — $100,000,000 TOTAL — $975,000,000 Local aid and education The FY27 House budget delivers nearly $10 billion in aid to cities and towns across the Commonwealth, representing a $477 million (M) increase over the FY26 budget. The budget funds Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) at $1.33 billion and Chapter 70 education funding at $7.65 billion. The budget also funds the fi nal year of a six-year implementation plan for the Student Opportunity Act (SOA), which was enacted in 2019 to modernize the state’s school funding formula to better support districts and expand resources for students, particularly those with the greatest needs. The budget increases the minimum aid total to $160 per pupil. Additionally, the budget includes the following education initiatives: SPED Circuit Breaker funded at $805.4M, supporting 100 percent projected reimbursement entitlement; $10M for school districts that have experienced unexpected enrollment reductions in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students; $57.1M for Regional School Transportation and $62M to fund Non-Resident Vocational and Regional Transportation. Additionally, this budget reforms out-of-district school transportation based on the legislatively mandated review by the Inspector General (IG). The FY27 budget implements the recommendations issued by the IG by: • Requiring DESE to maintain an electronic database for procurement and contract documents, establish best practices for districts and study the special education school marketplace to identify areas to improve transparency and ensure open and fair competition Gerry D’Ambrosio Attorney-at-Law Is Your Estate in Order? Do you have an update Will, Health Care Proxy or Power of Attorney? If Not, Please Call for a Free Consultation. 14 Proctor Avenue, Revere (781) 284-5657 Checking that pays you $20 a month. It’s easy: Open a checking account and each month maintain an average balance of $5,000, make $1,500 in direct deposits, and complete three transactions of any kind.* *New checking account customers only. • Requiring school districts to provide detailed cost components from vendors for DESE analysis of cost trends Public transportation This budget includes $470M for the MBTA, including $40M for the MBTA Academy. This budget continues to support water transportation and income-eligible reduced fares. The budget includes $217. 5M for the 15 Massachusetts RTAs. This investment includes $94M for general state contract assistance; $66M for additional state contract assistance to support expanded service hours, weekend services, and route expansions; $35M to continue fare-free fi xed routes and ADA-compliant service across all RTAs; $10M for projects that MASS. HOUSE | SEE Page 7
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