Page 8 MASS HOUSE | FROM Page 4 • $127 million to double operating support for the MBTA. • $63 million in debt service to leverage additional borrowing capacity. • $60 million in operating support for MassDOT. • $60 million for MBTA capital investments, including $10 million for resilient rail services. • $36 million for the MBTA workforce safety reserve. • $10 million for the MBTA Academy. • $45 million for roads and bridges supplemental aid for cities and towns. • $110 million for regional transit funding and grants to support the work of Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) that serve the Commonwealth, which together with general fund spending funds RTA operations at $204 million. Fair Share funding includes: • $66 million in direct operating support for Regional Transit Authorities. • $30 million for systemwide implementation of fare-free transit service. • $10 million to incentivize connections between regional transit routes. • $4 million to support expanded mobility options for the elderly and people with disabilities. • $20 million to support implementation of a low-income fare relief program at the MBTA. • $7.5 million for water transportation funding and operational assistance for ferry services. Education: Early Education and Care, K-12 and Higher Education The FY25 budget supports students across the full spectrum of the Commonwealth’s education system, shaping polices to make high-quality education more accessible and by making signifi cant investments in the education system, from our youngest learners to adults. THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2024 To create a new funding source for EEC initiatives, the budget allows the Massachusetts Lottery to sell its products online. A portion of the new revenue collected from online lottery sales, estimated to be $100 million in FY25, would fund C3 grants, which provide long-term stability for highquality and aff ordable care for families. The budget report delivers signifi cant levels of investment in education, including: • $6.9 billion in Chapter 70 funding, an increase of $317 million over FY24, as well as increasing minimum Chapter 70 aid from $30 to $104 per pupil, delivering an additional $37 million in resources to school districts across the state. • Over $1.55 billion investment in the early education and care sector, including: • $475 million for the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grants. • FY25 is the second fi scal year in a row which the annual state budget includes a full year of funding for C3 grants, signaling a historic commitment to maintain this crucial lifeline for our early education and care sector. • The FY25 budget also makes the C3 program permanent, while including provisions to direct more funds from the C3 program to early education and programs that serve children receiving childcare subsidies from the state and youth with high needs. • $117.5 million for free community college across the Commonwealth, covering tuition and fees for students. • $493.2 million for the special education (SPED) circuit breaker. • $99.5 million to reimburse school districts for regional school transportation costs, representing an 85 per cent reimbursement rate. • $18.5 million for Head Start grants. • $16 million for rural school aid assistance. • $6 million for Social Emotional Learning Grants to help K-12 schools continue to bolster social emotional learning supports for students, including $1 million to provide mental health screenings for K-12 students. to support • $5 million for grants to support implementation of the Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Higher Education law, including $3 million for grants offered through the Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment initiative to help high school students with intellectual disabilities ages 18— 22 access higher education opportunities; and $2 million for the Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Trust Fund. • $3 million for genocide education grants to facilitate teaching students the history of genocide. • $1 million for hate crimes prevention grants to support the prevention of hate crimes in public schools. The FY25 budget codifies several provisions that transforms the early education sector by improving aff ordability and access for families, increasing pay for early educators, and ensuring the sustainability and quality of early education and care programs. In K-12 education, the FY25 budget follows through on the Legislature’s commitment to fully fund and implement the Student Opportunity Act (SOA) by Fiscal Year 2027, investing $6.9 billion in Chapter 70 funding, an increase of $319 million over FY24, as well as increasing minimum Chapter 70 aid from $30 to $104 per pupil, delivering an additional $37 million in resources to school districts across the state. With these investments, the Legislatures continues to provide crucial support to school districts confronting the increasing cost pressures that come with delivering high-quality education to all students. In addition to the record levels of investment in early education and K-12, the FY25 budget removes barriers to accessing public higher education by codifying into law MassEducate, a $117.5 million investment in universal free community college program that covers tuition and fees for residents, aimed at supporting economic opportunity, workforce development, and opening the door to higher education for people who may never have had access. The FY25 budget permanently enshrines free community college into law in an affordable and sustainable manner across the Commonwealth, while leaving no federal dollars on the table. Health, Mental Health and Family Care Investments in the FY25 budget allow more than two million people to receive continued access to aff ordable and comprehensive health care services. Health care investments include: • $20.36 billion fo r MassHealth, representing the largest investment made in the state budget. • $2.9 billion for a range of services and focused supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. • $622.4 million for Department of Mental Health (DMH) adult support services. • $625 million for nursing facility Medicaid rates, including $40 million in additional base rate payments to maintain competitive wages in the Commonwealth’s nursing facility workforce. • $390 million for Chapter 257 rates to support directcare providers across the continuum of care. • $212.7 million for a complete range of substance use disorder treatment and intervention services. • $131.4 million for children’s mental health services. • $33.8 million for Family Resource Centers to grow and improve the mental health resources and programming available to families. • $30.9 million for Early Intervention services, ensuring supports remain accessible and available to infants and young toddlers with de
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