.@jgoodeHN I think you're just repeating the framing that the city is giving you here, but I think we should clear up a misconception.
School transportation doesn't count towards net school spending in Massachusetts for ANY district. #MAEdu
heraldnews.com/story/news/edu…
School transportation doesn't count towards net school spending in Massachusetts for ANY district. #MAEdu
heraldnews.com/story/news/edu…
The reason for that is pretty straightforward: Chelsea is three square miles; Franklin County Regional Tech is 500 square miles. Both are Massachusetts school districts. As you might imagine, they spend WILDLY differing amounts on transportation.
What is different between Fall River--and, indeed, any municipal district in Massachusetts--and their neighboring regionals, is, that while BOTH have mandated state reimbursed transportation, only one of those reimbursements gets funded.
Regional district transportation--which gets 99% of the attention in the state--is in MGL Ch. 71, sec. 16C.
malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLa…
malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLa…
The kicker is right there in the opening: "The state treasurer shall annually, on or before November twentieth, pay to the several towns subject to appropriation,
"the sums required as reimbursement for expenses approved by the commissioner of education, incurred by any town for the transportation of pupils not more than twice daily between any school within the town, or in another town, and the pupil's home"
This of course does not occur
This of course does not occur
As noted by former @massauditor Suzanne Bump in her tour de force final report, that's how we end up with regular day school transportation outside of regional districts being among the most unfunded of mandates: mass.gov/info-details/r… 
@massauditor The argument has been that regional transportation was 'a deal' for regionalization (as if regionalization was only in the state's interest, which I personally would dispute).
Generally, regionals that are geographically large note their size.
There are, though, municipal districts that are also geographically large, and of course there are municipal districts that are larger than some regionals.
There are, though, municipal districts that are also geographically large, and of course there are municipal districts that are larger than some regionals.
However, it doesn't count towards net school spending for anybody, and it's reimbursed only for regional districts. #MAEdu
And in a blog post: who-cester.blogspot.com/2023/03/a-note… #MAEdu
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