In some years, the minimum aid amount in the Chapter 70 formula increases between the release of the Governor’s budget (House 1 or House 2) and the final General Appropriations Act (GAA). Regional school districts (RSDs) typically plan their annual budgets based on the preliminary state aid estimates reflected in the Governor’s budget. We have been asked by Regional School Districts RSDs that receive minimum aid how to access the additional minimum aid when this occurs. Specifically, we have been asked what steps regional school committees (RSCs) must take to include the additional minimum aid in their current budgets, and whether the member municipalities (members) of Regional School Districts RSDs must approve these steps.
There are several ways in which an Regional School Committee RSC may include the additional minimum aid amount in its current year budget, all of which involve an amendment to the Regional School Committee RSC budget. Whether the members must approve the amendment depends on which option is chosen by the Regional School Committee RSC. The following are the options available to an Regional School Committee RSC:
Option 1. The Regional School Committee RSC could propose, by a 2/3 vote of the full committee, an amendment to increase its current 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 Regional School Committee 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 Regional School Committee 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 consider the amended budget within the 45 days, the amendment is considered approved by that member. Please see 603 Code of Massachusetts Regulations CMR 41.05(5)(a) and (b).
Option 2. The Regional School Committee RSC could propose, by a 2/3 vote of the full committee, an increase in the revenues supporting the current budget, reflecting the full amount of the increase in minimum aid and a reduction of the same amount in the total current 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, such an amendment does not require approval by the local appropriating authorities of the members and is effective upon a 2/3 vote of the full Regional School Committee RSC. In this scenario, the treasurer of the Regional School Committee RSC must, within seven days of the Regional School Committee RSC vote, certify, and provide the newly calculated assessments to the members along with a copy of the amended budget. Please see 603 Code of Massachusetts Regulations CMR 41.05(5)(c).
Option 3. The Regional School Committee RSC could propose, by a 2/3 vote of the full committee, a combination of the above two options. In this case, the Regional School Committee RSC could increase the current 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 portion (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 Regional School Committee 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, such an amendment requires approval by 2/3 of the appropriating authorities of the members. Since no member would experience an increase in its assessment, however, should the local appropriating authorities of a member not meet to consider the amended budget within 45 days, the amended budget is considered approved by that member. Please see 603 Code of Massachusetts Regulations CMR 41.05(5)(a) and (b).
Should you have any questions, please contact Michelle Griffin (781-338-6515).
Last Updated: October 22, 2026