It’s undeniable that because of the pandemic Massachusetts’ public schools and colleges require more state and federal funding and upgrades to many school buildings. But the latest state budget cuts much-needed funding for improvements in K-12 education programs in school districts all across the state, with the biggest cuts in the high-poverty districts hit hardest by the pandemic. And the state only level-funds our public colleges and universities that are operating on already-bare-bones budgets.

We can’t allow an entire class of students to be left behind because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Low-income students, students with disabilities, and English learners who were already stuck in under-funded schools will fall even further behind, while students in wealthy school districts move ahead with high-end technology and comprehensive remote learning. That’s exactly what will happen if the state fails to fully fund the Student Opportunity Act.

Now more than ever, we must fully fund public education in order to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, restore our economy, address longstanding racial disparities, and build a better society. If this requires new revenue at the state level, the state should tax the large corporations and wealthy shareholders that are profiting during the pandemic.

Tell the Massachusetts government to fully fund our public colleges and universities!