The news is not all bad for the MASC and other
advocates of educational support though. School funding for fiscal year
'09 will not see a lull, as the state has made the decision to allocate
monies from the federal stimulus package to cover the net loss from the
aforementioned state budget cuts. Even with severely weakening revenue
streams, the state of Massachusetts will be able to avoid a significant
lapse in the monetary funds that it allots to its public schools–at
least for this year.

Mary Jo Rossetti, an MASC member and the
Somerville School Committee Representative for Ward 7, knows that there
is much work still to be done to ensure the long-term vitality of
Somerville's public school system. One pertinent issue that Rossetti
points out is that the money that will now be allocated to Somerville
and other local communities is now channeled through the federal
government "We were excited when we all heard that education was
getting X amount of dollars, it was wonderful news," says Rossetti. "I
will tell you though, that since this memo came out that this was going
to happen, every other week there was a memo from the [federal]
government saying, oops we didn't think about this, or oops we didn't
think about that. So they are directing our superintendents, and our
mayors, and our governor on how that money should be expended….our
hands are tied as to how we can spend the money."

The other
issue, still to be worked out, is how these funds are to be obtained by
local municipalities. Due to federal guidelines, cities might have to
apply for money through grants and will be forced to wait and see when
and if they receive full economic support. This can make it quite
difficult to forecast a local budget for FY10, something that
Somerville is currently in the process of doing. "I am exuberant that
we are getting this money," says Rossetti, "but it is difficult because
one of our [budget] lines is assuming that we are going to get some
stimulus money, and we are crossing ours fingers and toes that that is
going to be real."

Assuming Somerville obtains full grants
dollars from the federal stimulus package, the key for 2009 will be
moderation. As Mitchell Chester, commissioner of Elementary and
Secondary Education, said at the "Day on the Hill" event, "it is going
to be a very funky ride for the next couple of years. The challenge is
that we are expending stimulus funds now; i.e. fewer funds will be left
to expend in FY10 and FY11…you need to be thinking not simply one
year at a time this time, but for the next two years."

School
boards are looking to be more creative with current school budgeting in
an effort to weather the storm for FY11 and beyond. Some ideas include
regionalization, the pooling together of resources from separate school
systems to save money, and in increase in sales tax, which is supported
by Somerville's Mayoral administration and could bring much needed
revenue to public schools and the city as a whole.

In terms of
specific cuts for the upcoming year, it is still too early to tell how
Somerville schools will be affected. One thing that Somerville
residents can hang their hat on though, is the experience and
competency of the people running our schools and the administration
that works behind the scenes. "You are not going to get a better
education than you will in the Somerville Public Schools," says Mary Jo
Rossetti. "The schools are superb, the staff is extremely dedicated."
Rossetti, who will be running for re-election this year, knows that
there is hard work to be done and difficult decisions to be made, but
is certainly up for the challenge. "I want to be a part of this team
because it makes me feel proud to see the outcome of all of these
students and what Somerville public schools have done for each of them.
No matter what the unfunded regulations are, we don't quit"

There
are crucial decisions to be made in the upcoming months in regards to
education and the impending financial concerns, and the MASC encourages
everyone to participate in the decision making process. "We need you to
work with us-and with your legislators! The governor's recently
released budget is closely tied to federal monies through the stimulus
package. How these funds will be distributed is unclear at the moment,
but your voice and outreach is critical in reminding elected officials
that public schools are our nation's most vital piece of
infrastructure."