The Marshfield Town Charter requires each town board to submit a proposed budget for the ensuing fiscal year on or before the last Monday in January. As a result, the Marshfield School Committee voted to approve a FY11 School Budget on January 12^th in the amount of $40,795,264.  

This budget amount does not include the anticipated FY11 reductions (currently $1.4 million), nor collective bargaining.  However, because the FY11 State Budget will not be approved for several months, we can expect Marshfield’s FY11 School Budget will also change.

The Governor released his FY11 Budget Recommendations “House 2” to the Legislature this week. This budget, which includes the highest level of Chapter 70 (school aid) funding in the history of the Commonwealth, relies on $600 million of federal aid that Congress has yet to approve.

 The Governor’s FY11 Budget lists several FY11 Chapter 70 recommendations:

1.)   The Governor’s FY11 budget is based on the assumptions that tax receipts will increase 3.2%, along with an increase from sales tax revenue.

2.)   Massachusetts’ FY10 state budget deficit is $3 billion. This deficit would be larger if $3.5 billion ARRA funds had not been used.

3.)   The FY10 state budget deficits across the USA total $180 billion. Subsequently, state leaders are seeking additional federal ARRA funds for FY11 to avoid further budget cuts and tax increases.

4.)   Massachusetts’ current fiscal dilemma: 

• While the immediate cause of the fiscal crisis is the national recession, policy choices over the past decade weakened the Commonwealth's revenue source.

• The tax changes between 1998 and 2008 erased large budget surpluses, leaving the state fiscally unstable. The two primary causes: income tax cuts and erosion of the state sales tax.

• Overall, revenue from Massachusetts’ state taxes, as a share of the economy, were $3.3 billion lower in FY2008 than they were in FY1998.

• Reductions in education aid over the past year in Massachusetts has exceeded the national average: USA: - 0.4% vs. MASS: - 3.4%

• Massachusetts can no longer be referred to as “Taxachusetts”:

•      Today, Massachusetts residents’ taxes, as a percent of personal income, are 10.5%. The national average is 11.3%.

•      Between 1977-2007 taxes declined in Massachusetts more than any other state. (Massachusetts residents’ taxes, as a percent of personal income, decreased 24.3%. The national average of US citizens’ taxes, as a percent of personal income, decreased 0.9%).  

 The Marshfield Public Schools FY11 School Budget process will continue this winter as the School Committee deliberates over the current “Bad Idea List.”  This list, though subject to change, will only be used as necessary.

Marshfield Public Schools FY11 School Budget updates will be posted on our district homepage under District Budget. Please use this resource to remain informed.               

Thank you.