MA Rural Schools Coalition

More state aid for rural schools this year

Posted on Friday, August 23rd, 2019 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Anita Fritz, Greenfield Recorder
Date: 8/22/2019
Link: Complete Article

Sen. Adam Hinds asked for and received $1 million more from the state’s Rural School Aid grant program this year, increasing the budget to $2.5 million and leaving superintendentsthroughout Franklin County waiting to see just how much of the pie they’ll get. “The fight for equal opportunity through education means we need to ensure all… [Read More]

Rural schools to push for millions more in state aid

Posted on Thursday, January 25th, 2018 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Diane Broncaccio, Greenfield Recorder
Date: 1/24/2018
Link: Complete Article

BUCKLAND — Hoping to boost state money to rural school districts by about $9.5 million, educators at the Massachusetts Rural Schools Coalition voted unanimously Wednesday to back a proposal for aid in the coming budget. They also directed Coalition Chairman Michael Buoniconti to work with state Sen. Stan Rosenberg to put the school aid request… [Read More]

Urban legislators don’t get the struggle to fund large, rural bus routes

Posted on Thursday, July 13th, 2017 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Greenfield Recorder Editorial Staff, Greenfield Recorder
Date: 7/13/2017
Link: Complete Article

Maybe someone should arrange a school bus ride across the 530 road miles of the Mohawk Trail Regional School District for state legislators from those geographically tiny Boston metro cities and towns. Seriously. How else will the majority of state lawmakers, who hail from urban areas, truly understand the scale of the fiscal problem districts… [Read More]

Editorial: Sparsity aid concept would greatly benefit rural schools

Posted on Sunday, June 4th, 2017 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Editorial, The Greenfield Recorder
Date: 6/2/2017
Link: Complete Article

A provision to study how rural schools might get more state aid has been included in the Senate budget that was adopted last month. That’s good news for Franklin County’s struggling, small school districts. The so-called “sparsity aid” formula was developed and championed by Mohawk Trail Regional School Superintendent Michael Buoniconti as part of an… [Read More]

State Senate OKs study on rural school aid

Posted on Saturday, May 27th, 2017 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Richie Davis, The Greenfield Recorder
Date: 5/26/2017
Link: Complete Article

A provision to study how rural schools might get more state aid has been included in the Senate budget that was adopted this week. That’s good news for Franklin County’s struggling, small school districts. The so-called “sparsity aid” formula is aimed at providing additional financial aid to rural districts like those in Franklin County. The… [Read More]

Officials sound off to legislators on broadband, schools

Posted on Wednesday, March 29th, 2017 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Richie Davis, The Recorder
Date: 3/28/2017
Link: Complete Article

CONWAY, MA — A 14-member state Senate delegation got a blast about rural issues from nearly a dozen officials from the four western counties Tuesday. The legislators were taking a listening tour and began their day in the Conway Town Hall. Speakers from regional planning agencies tried to explain some of the interrelated problems rural… [Read More]

What’s next for Heath school kids? Community talks planned

Posted on Monday, January 23rd, 2017 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Diane Bronchaccio, The Recorder
Date: 1/23/2017
Link: Complete Article

HEATH — If the 22-year-old Heath Elementary School closes next fall, what do residents see as the best options for their children’s public education? How does the community feel about the possible school closure, and how can the community shape its future? The Heath Education Task Force and the Heath School Local Education Council will… [Read More]