Swampscott May See $160,000 Increase in Chapter 70 Funds

State Rep. Lori Ehrlich, D-Marblehead, informed School Committee members that the House has proposed for Swampscott an increase of $160,000 in funding over the governor's proposed budget.

About 60 percent of the town's budget goes to the schools, so the committee was hopeful that if the town gets the additional funding, it would get 60 percent of the increase.

The budget must still be approved by the Senate and signed by Gov. Deval Patrick.

At their meeting on Wednesday, Selectmen said they were pleased to hear about the increase, announced by Selectman David Van Dam.

The selectman has talked to the House Ways and Means Chairman, Brian Dempsey, about the town's Chapter 70 funding shortfall.

Van Dam said the $160,000 in funding would represent movement in the right direction. As it stands, the town is being shorted by about $800,000 a year in education funding, according to the board.

The $160,00, if approved, would defray part of the $800,000 shortfall, they said.

Board members were angry earlier this year over word that the state had once again failed to bring the town up to minimum foundation-level funding to support  in town.

The governor's 2013 budget included $145 million more for education but Swampscott was to see an increase of only $8,660.

Swampscott was slated to receive $2,573,123 next year, a figure that puts the district well short of the 17.5 percent foundation funding promised under Chapter 70.

The district received $2,564,463 in state funding this year, which put Swampscott just under 14 percent funding, well below the 17.5 percent figure. 

The Massachusetts Department of Education defines an adequate spending level for a school district as its "foundation budget." It is a statistical measure that was developed by superintendents and an economist in the early 1990's.

"The goal of the Chapter 70 formula is to ensure that every district has sufficient resources to meet its foundation budget spending level, through an equitable combination of local property taxes and state aid," according to the DOE.