If Chapter 70 sets a minimum funding level, why isn’t that enough to meet student needs? In this Budget Talk, Superintendent Paul Foster builds on our previous discussion of Chapter 70 State Aid and explains why the foundation budget represents only a baseline—not the full cost of educating and supporting all students. While the formula outlines a minimum level of funding, it does not always reflect the real costs school districts face in meeting the diverse and evolving needs of their students.

How does the state decide how much funding Monson receives for education? In this Budget Talk, Superintendent Paul Foster explains how the Chapter 70 funding formula works and how the state determines the minimum amount a school district should spend to support its students. The process begins with something called the “foundation budget,” which calculates the minimum funding needed based on student enrollment and the specific needs of students across the district. The state then considers each community’s property and income wealth to determine how much the town can contribute and how much funding the state will provide through Chapter 70 aid. While the Chapter 70 formula establishes a minimum level of funding, most school districts across Massachusetts spend well above that amount. In a future Budget Talk, Superintendent Foster will discuss why that minimum level is often not sufficient to fully cover the needs of the students we serve in Monson and across the Commonwealth.

“What are ‘user fees’ in a school budget, and how do they support our programs? In this Budget Talk, Superintendent Paul Foster explains how user fees support several programs within Monson Public Schools. While they represent a smaller portion of our overall revenue, they play an important role in helping sustain programs across the district. Monson Public Schools receives user fee revenue primarily from three areas: • Preschool tuition – families pay tuition for students attending our preschool program (approximately $155,000 expected next year). • Before and after school care – the EXTEND program supports families who need early drop-off or late pick-up for their students (approximately $50,000 expected next year). • Athletics – participation fees and ticket sales from games help support Monson’s athletic programs (approximately $45,000 expected next year). These funds are used to support the programs they are associated with, helping ensure they can continue serving Monson students and families.

“Why don’t we apply for more grants to support the budget?” ⬅️ It’s a common question and in this Budget Talk, Superintendent Paul Foster explains that while Monson Public Schools actively pursues grants, most grant funding—especially private grants—is designated for specific programs or initiatives, not for the day-to-day operating costs of running our schools. For example, a current grant at Monson High School supports the Engineering Pathway, helping fund equipment and supplies for that program. Grants like this help us launch and enhance opportunities for students, but they typically cannot be used for ongoing expenses like salaries or annual operating costs.

Federal funding makes up less than 10% of our overall budget, which is typical for school districts across the country. While it represents a smaller share of funding, it supports important programs for our students, as Superintendent Paul Foster explains in this Budget Talk. Monson Public Schools receives federal funding primarily through four programs: • Title I • Title II • Title IV • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) In the next two Budget Talks videos, we will continue exploring the other funding sources that support Monson Public Schools.

State Aid is the largest share of the Monson Public Schools operating budget. In this Budget Talk, Superintendent Paul Foster explains this funding source and the different components that make it up, including Chapter 70 Aid, School Choice, Rural Aid, a Legislative Earmark, and the Special Education Circuit Breaker Program. In the coming Budget Talks videos, we will continue to explore the other revenue sources that support Monson Public Schools.

In this Budget Talk, Superintendent Paul Foster shares a high-level overview of the five primary sources that support our schools: • State Aid (Chapter 70) – about 60% • Town of Monson – about 25% • State Grants – just under 10% • Federal Grants – just under 4% • Fees for certain services – about 2% In future Budget Talks, we’ll take a closer look at each of these funding sources to help our community better understand how the amounts are determined and how the funds support our students and schools.

In this Budget Talk video, Superintendent Foster explains several rising fixed costs for the Town that are not covered by the Schools Operating Budget. Since FY20: • Transportation costs have increased 33.2% • Employee benefits have increased 17.2% • Pathfinder assessments have increased 39.3% These are important factors in understanding the broader financial picture.