Administration and Finance
Commissioner's Office
District Support
Educational Options
Instructional Support
Kaleidoscope Collective
Legal
Planning and Research
Strategic Initiatives
Student Assessment
The final FY26 state budget, signed by the Governor on July 4, 2026, provided an increase in state Chapter 70 funding over the preliminary estimates issued on January 22, 2026. For those districts receiving minimum aid, the amount has been increased from $75 per pupil to $150 per pupil. As regional school districts (RSDs) typically plan their annual budgets based on preliminary state aid amounts, we have been asked by RSDs that did not reflect the additional minimum aid in their FY26 budget how they might now access the additional minimum aid. Specifically, we have been asked what steps regional school committees (RSCs) must take to include the additional minimum aid in their FY26 budgets, and whether the member municipalities (members) of RSDs must approve these steps.
There are several ways in which an RSD may include the additional minimum aid amount in its FY26 budget, all of which involve an amendment to the RSC budget. Whether the members must approve the amendment depends on which option is chosen by the RSC. The following are the options available to an RSC:
Option 1. The RSC could propose, by a 2/3 vote of the full committee, an amendment to increase its FY26 budget by the additional minimum aid amount. Though such an amendment would not increase the assessments to the members, it would increase the budget. Therefore, the treasurer must, within seven days of the RSC vote, provide the amendment to the members for approval by the local appropriating authorities. The local appropriating authorities shall then have 45 days from the date of the RSC vote to meet and consider the amendment to increase the budget. This amendment would require approval by 2/3 of the local appropriating authorities of the members. However, since no member would experience an increase in its assessment in this scenario, should the local appropriating authorities of a member not meet on the amended budget within the 45 days, the amendment would be considered approved by that member. Please see 603 CMR 41.05(5)(a) and (b).
Option 2. The RSC could propose, by a 2/3 vote of the full committee, an increase in the revenues supporting the FY26 budget, reflecting the full amount of the increase in minimum aid and a reduction of the same amount in the FY26 member assessments (consistent with the apportionment provisions in the regional agreement). Since such an amendment would not increase the total amount of the budget and would reduce the assessment for every member, the amendment would not require approval by the local appropriating authorities of the members and would be effective upon a 2/3 vote of the full RSC. In this scenario, the treasurer of the RSC must, within seven days of the RSC vote, certify and provide the newly calculated assessments to the members along with a copy of the amended budget. Please see 603 CMR 41.05(5)(c).
Option 3. The RSC could propose, by a 2/3 vote of the full committee, a combination of the above two options. In this case, the RSC could increase the budget by a portion of the additional minimum aid and increase the revenues supporting the budget by the remaining portion of the additional minimum aid while decreasing the assessments of the members by that same amount (consistent with the apportionment provisions in the regional agreement). In this scenario, because the budget has been increased and the assessments have been decreased, the treasurer must, within seven days of the RSC vote, certify the decreased assessments and provide them along with the amended budget to the members. The local appropriating authorities shall then have 45 days to meet and consider the amendment to increase the budget. As with Option 1, this amendment would require approval by 2/3 of the appropriating authorities of the members. Since no member would have an increased assessment, however, should a member choose not to meet on the amended budget within 45 days, the amended budget would be considered approved by that member. Please see 603 CMR 41.05(5)(a), (b), and (e).
Should you have any questions, please contact Jay Sullivan (781-338-6594), Chris Lynch (781-338-6520), or Michelle Griffin (781-338-6515).
Last Updated: September 10, 2025