Section 3 Local Aid Distribution
Additional local aid information based on the Governor's FY 2022 Budget for individual cities and towns is available at https://www.mass.gov/lists/cherry-sheet-estimates
SECTION 3. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022 the distribution of Unrestricted General Government Aid to cities and towns of the balance of the State Lottery and Gaming Fund, as paid from the General Fund in accordance with clause (c) of the second paragraph of section 35 of chapter 10 of the General Laws, and additional funds from the General Fund and the Gaming Local Aid Fund, shall be $1,168,119,046 and shall be apportioned to cities and towns in accordance with this section.
For fiscal year 2022 the total amounts to be distributed to each city, town, and regional school district, as calculated pursuant to chapter 70 of the General Laws and paid from item 7061-0008 of section 2, shall be as set forth in the following lists; provided that for purposes of calculating preliminary local contributions, municipal revenue growth factors shall be calculated in a manner consistent with calculations made in fiscal year 2021; provided that the effort reduction percentage shall be 100 per cent; provided further that the minimum aid per pupil dollar amount shall be $30; provided further that the total statewide target local contribution shall be 59 per cent; provided further, that, in satisfying any increase in its local contribution requirements under chapter 70, a municipality may deem to be local contribution an amount up to 75 per cent of the total grant award to its districts under the Elementary and Secondary Education Emergency Relief (ESSER) program enacted by the federal coronavirus response and relief supplemental appropriations act on December 27, 2020, but not more than the increase in required local contribution in fiscal year 2022 relative to fiscal year 2021. In the case of a municipality's increased required contribution as a member of a regional school district, a municipality may deem a proportional share of 75 per cent of the regional district's total grant award, equal to the municipality's share of the district's total required contribution, to satisfy the increase in its required contribution. If there is a conflict between the language of said chapter 70 and the distribution listed below, the distribution below shall control. The specified amounts listed below shall be deemed in full satisfaction of the amounts due under said chapter 70.
In evaluating compliance with net school spending requirements for fiscal year 2022, the department of elementary and secondary education shall include any net school spending eligible expenditures supported with said ESSER funds, up to the dollar limit established by the department pursuant to the 75 per cent limitation established in the previous paragraph.
Notwithstanding the provisions of section 89 of chapter 71 or any other general or special law to the contrary, in calculating charter school tuition payments to be paid to charters by each school district for fiscal year 2022, the department of elementary and secondary education shall not include the per pupil amount of required local contribution that may be supported by said ESSER funds, as determined by the department pursuant to this section.
The department of elementary and secondary education shall not consider health care costs for retired teachers to be part of net school spending for any district in which such costs were not considered part of net school spending in fiscal year 1994 and for any district that has not accepted the provisions of section 260 of chapter 165 of the acts of 2014; provided, that any district for whom such costs are not so considered shall have included as part of net school spending an amount equal to the increase in the foundation budget for the district associated with health care costs of retired teachers.
No payments to cities, towns or counties maintaining an agricultural school under this section shall be made after November 30 of the fiscal year until the commissioner of revenue certifies acceptance of the prior fiscal year's annual financial reports submitted under section 43 of chapter 44 of the General Laws. Advance payments shall be made for some or all of periodic local reimbursement or assistance programs to any city, town, regional school district, or agricultural school that demonstrates an emergency cash shortfall, as certified by the commissioner of revenue and approved by the secretary of administration and finance, under guidelines established by the secretary.