Aid To Woburn Schools Would Increase 1% Under Baker Proposal

WOBURN, MA — Woburn Public Schools would receive a 1 percent increase to state aid for next fiscal year, beginning July 1, under Gov. Charlie Baker's proposed budget.

The budget proposal includes full backing of the first year of a milestone school funding law, the Student Opportunity Act, which had been put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The proposal increases statewide Chapter 70 aid by $197.7 million, or 3.7 percent, and is meant to help local districts with costs associated with low-income students, special education services, English language learners, guidance and psychological services and employee health benefits.

Nearly 80 percent of school districts, including Woburn, would only receive a $30 increase per student, or about 1 percent in Woburn's case. The district's state funding would increase from $9.556 million this year to $9.687 million in Fiscal Year 2022.

The proposed state aid increase in Baker's budget is smaller than he had planned before the pandemic, when it would have been $303 million. This is due to a statewide public school enrollment drop, which includes Woburn — the district's enrollment dropped over 100 students from Oct. 2019 to Oct. 2020, landing at 4,384.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.