Chapter 70 Program

The Chapter 70 program is the major program of state aid to public elementary and secondary schools. In addition to providing state aid to support school operations, it also establishes minimum spending requirements for each school district and minimum requirements for each municipality's share of school costs.

Chapter 70 Legislation & Regulation

• Legislation

• Regulations

• Compliance With Net School Spending Requirements

• Student Opportunity Act

• Supplemental Low-Income Data Collection

• Retiree Health Insurance and Section 260 of the FY'15 State Budget

• Chapter 70 District Profiles
  The on-line Chapter 70 database shows, for each school district, yearly spending and state aid totals in comparison to the foundation budget. Trend data is available for each year going back to FY1993.

• Chapter 70 Trends in Aid and Local Contribution
  This tool shows trend data for the key factors influencing Chapter 70 required local contributions and state aid calculations going back to FY2007.

Chapter 70 State Aid and Spending Requirement

For earlier spending requirements related to Chapter 70 please contact sfinance@doe.mass.edu .

• 01/28/2026, FY2027 Preliminary Chapter 70 Aid and Net School Spending Requirements

• 07/07/2025, FY2026 Chapter 70 Aid and Net School Spending Requirements

• 07/29/2024, FY2025 Chapter 70 Aid and Net School Spending Requirements

• 08/09/2023, FY2024 Chapter 70 Aid and Net School Spending Requirements

• 07/28/2022, FY2023 Chapter 70 Aid and Net School Spending Requirements

Chapter 70 Resources

For earlier analyses related to Chapter 70 please contact sfinance@doe.mass.edu .

• 07/12/2023, FY2019 Economically Disadvantaged Legislative Report

• 12/04/2020, FY2021 Local Contribution Study

• 10/30/2015, Final Report of the Foundation Budget Review Commission

• 08/08/2013, Report on the Status of the Public Education Financing System in Massachusetts

• 02/01/2005, Hancock v. Driscoll -- Hancock v Driscoll - final decision of the Supreme Judicial Court

• 04/26/2004, Hancock v Driscoll report of Judge Margot Botsford

Foundation Reserve Aid

For earlier Rural School Aid, please contact sfinance@doe.mass.edu

• 11/04/2025, FY2026 Rural School Aid

• 11/22/2024, FY2025 Rural School Aid

• 10/16/2023, FY2024 Rural School Aid

• 09/13/2022, FY2023 Rural School Aid

• 04/15/2022, FY2022 One-Time Assistance for Districts with Pandemic-Related Enrollment Disruptions Impacting Chapter 70 Aid

• 10/01/2021, FY2022 Rural School Aid

Last Updated: March 17, 2026