FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Groton-Dunstable Regional School Committee is launching a community-wide letter writing
advocacy effort urging the Massachusetts Legislature to increase state funding for public
education for the upcoming fiscal year as well as to review and revise the Chapter 70 funding
formula, which determines how much state funding school districts receive.
Over the past 17 years, state aid to Groton-Dunstable has remained relatively flat. Since 2008,
the district’s Chapter 70 funding has increased by only $583,568. This funding has not kept pace
with the rising costs of education, including transportation, utilities, special education services,
unfunded mandates, health insurance, and contractual obligations. As a result, the financial
burden has increasingly shifted to the Towns of Groton and Dunstable to bridge the gap.
For the upcoming fiscal year, both the school district and the municipalities are facing significant
budget reductions. Without additional state support, further cuts to staffing and services will be
unavoidable.
Groton-Dunstable is one of approximately 270+ school districts across Massachusetts designated
as “minimum aid” districts. These districts receive only modest annual increases in state funding,
regardless of actual cost growth or enrollment trends. The School Committee’s letter writing
campaign calls on the Legislature to provide increased funding in the FY budget to minimum aid
districts, and to municipalities to help avoid additional reductions to educators and essential staff.
In addition to requesting increased funding for the coming fiscal year, the letters also urge
lawmakers to review and permanently revise the Chapter 70 funding formula to ensure it is
equitable and reflective of actual educational costs for all districts across the Commonwealth.
Willing and able community members are encouraged to participate in the advocacy effort by
sending a letter to state legislators. A template letter and instructions can be found here:
https://tinyurl.com/3ht9s7b5
The School Committee believes that strong public schools are the foundation of strong
communities and that equitable state funding is essential to maintaining high-quality educational
opportunities for all students.
For more information, please contact the Groton-Dunstable Regional School Committee at
lmccabe@gdrsd.org
