It's no accident that four of the five projects approved last week by the Massachusetts School Building Authority involve renovations rather than new construction. Districts unable to contain the impulse to spend lavishly will not find a willing partner in the School Building Authority, which manages costs and reimburses cities and towns for a portion of their school building expenses.
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FROM JANUARY 2008: Inflation and operating costs in Massachusetts have far outpaced spending on education, putting intense financial pressure on school districts across the state, according to a report from the Massachusetts Department of Education. The department found that healthcare, salaries, and special education program costs have escalated sharply since 2003, while state funding has remained stagnant. As a result, cities and towns have had to shoulder a greater portion of the burden, raising property taxes and instituting fees for once-standard services, such as bus transportation and athletics.
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FROM MAY 2007: Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick appears to be laying the groundwork for an overhaul of state education funding. At an appearance before the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, Patrick issued some of his most pointed comments to date, saying the state can no longer afford to rely on the local property tax to fund public education.
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