FACT SHEET: Senate Fair Share Supplemental Budget for Education and Transportation

Fact Sheet & Highlights

The overwhelming success of the Fair Share surtax—voted for by residents in 2022—combined with a growing number of high earners in Massachusetts has given the Commonwealth the opportunity to make transformative one-time investments in public education and public transportation.

The Senate Committee on Ways and Means has therefore presented a $1.28 billion supplemental budget that prioritizes regional equity and makes meaningful investments in education and transportation while maintaining the state’s commitment to responsible money management in the face of federal uncertainty.

The Senate’s proposal, S.2512, supports maintenance of quality public education initiatives; reinforces programs that will grow a more educated workforce; addresses the capital infrastructure needs of the state’s public higher education system; bolsters the state’s transportation infrastructure in a regionally equitable manner; and ensures that the underlying needs of communities are sustainably met.

The details of investments are outlined below.

Education – $613 million

Special Education Costs: $248 million includes circuit breaker reimbursements to local school districts.

Public Higher Education Deferred Maintenance: $175 million includes $10 million for lab modernization capital improvements and upgrades at community colleges to ensure community colleges have the resources needed to provide a high-quality education to the increased number of students following the implementation of the popular universal free community college program originated by the Senate, MassEducate.

Career Technical Education Capital Grants: $100 million to expand capacity and accommodate additional career technical education school opportunities includes $15 million for a pilot program to support career and vocational technical annex buildings on comprehensive high school campuses.

Local School Construction Relief: $50 million to support cities, towns and school districts experiencing extraordinary school project cost increases due to inflation.

Literacy Growth: $25 million for high dosage tutoring to support accelerated literacy growth and success for students in kindergarten through grade 3.

English Language Learning Programs: $10 million for educational grants to reduce the waitlist for services for speakers of languages other than English to learn English and subsequently help fill in-demand jobs.

Holocaust Museum Boston: $5 million to support the Holocaust Museum Boston.

Transportation – $670 million

MBTA Improvements and Infrastructure Upgrades: $370 million for improvements and transportation infrastructure upgrades across the MBTA system includes:

  • $200 million to replenish the MBTA budget reserve after recent usage of reserve funds to support operations;

  • $100 million in workforce and safety training to implement improvements recommended by the Federal Transit Administration;

  • $50 million for commuter rail system maintenance and infrastructure upgrades; and

  • $20 million for the MBTA’s low-income fare relief program.

Aid For Cities and Towns: $190 million for regionally equitable shovel-ready transportation improvements includes:

  • $165 million for supplemental Chapter 90 aid to ensure every city and town receives funding to maintain local roads and bridges, including:

  • $82.5 million to help support small and rural communities by distributing funds based solely on road mileage; and

  • $25 million for municipally owned small bridges and culverts.

Regional Equity in Transportation: $105 million for regional transit initiatives includes:

  • $50 million for capital improvements to equipment and facilities at Regional Transit Authorities, which serve and connect all regions of the Commonwealth;

  • $25 million for efforts to improve workforce recruitment and retention at the Regional Transit Authorities;

  • $20 million for ferry infrastructure improvements; and

  • $10 million for on-demand micro-transit shuttles and Last Mile grants fostering an innovative multimodal transit system.

World Cup Preparations: $5 million for transportation improvements associated with the upcoming 2026 World Cup.

Funding Sources

The supplemental budget proposal comprises a collection of one-time revenues, including:

  • $1.22 billion in surplus collected in Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024 through the Fair Share surtax, which is paid by households in Massachusetts earning more than $1 million per year;

  • $58 million from the Student Opportunity Act Investment Fund; and

  • $5 million from the Transitional Escrow Fund.

Releases & StatementsGray Milkowski