Tell Governor Baker to Commit to Fully Funding Public Schools This Fall

Governor Baker

It’s undeniable that reopening Massachusetts’ public schools and colleges safely this fall will cost significantly more than in pre-COVID times. But due to uncertainty about the state’s commitment to funding public education, school districts all across the state are making budget cuts and laying off educators, and our public colleges are slashing their already-bare-bones budgets.

We can’t allow low-income students, students with disabilities, and English learners to fall behind while students in wealthy school districts move ahead, but that’s exactly what will happen if the state fails to act.

The chronic underfunding of predominantly Black and Brown schools and public colleges is a clear reflection of the structural racism in Massachusetts’s education funding system, and failing to fix it now would deepen the racial inequity in our schools at a time when our state leaders are professing their commitment to racial justice.

Now more than ever, we must fund public education in order to fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, restore our economy, address longstanding racial disparities, and build a better society. This will require new revenue at the federal, state, and local levels.

The federal HEROES Act, passed by the U.S. House in May, would provide Massachusetts with $1.5 billion in education funding, but Senate Republicans are refusing to bring it to a vote.

Tell Governor Baker to commit to fully funding public schools and colleges in Massachusetts, and to use his relationships with fellow Republicans to push for the passage of the HEROES Act.


To: Governor Baker
From: [Your Name]

Governor Baker:

As public schools and colleges reopen this fall, the Commonwealth must address more than just the physical health of students. Many young people will require enhanced educational opportunities, technology, health and guidance services, and more. Students need social and emotional support, reliable access to healthy food and housing, and the time and space to focus on learning.

Now more than ever, students burdened by debt and facing a difficult job market need affordable public higher education. Our colleges and universities must be accessible and affordable for students, including older nontraditional students looking to pursue a degree or certificate after losing their job due to the COVID 19 pandemic.

Now more than ever, we must fund public education in order to fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, restore our economy, address longstanding racial disparities, and build a better society. That starts with fully funding the state’s commitment to the Student Opportunity Act on the promised schedule, and providing college students and their families with debt relief and fully-funded public colleges and universities. This will require new revenue at the federal, state, and local levels.

The federal HEROES Act, passed by the U.S. House in May, would provide Massachusetts with $1.5 billion in education funding, but Senate Republicans are refusing to bring it to a vote. We urge you to commit to fully funding public schools and colleges in Massachusetts. We also urge you to use your relationships with your fellow Republican Governors, especially those whose states are represented by Republican Senators, to push for the passage of the HEROES Act.