Invest in Early Education

FY11 State Budget:
Preserve and Protect Investments in
High-Quality Early Education

Each year, the Early Education for All (EEA) Campaign makes a series of budget recommendations to the Governor and State Legislature for increased investments in high-quality early education. EEA needs your help during the FY11 budget process in making the case for high-quality early education so that we can preserve the momentum and progress we have made together for young children and families.

Update: Governor's FY11 Budget Recommendations

On Jan 27, 2010 Gov. Deval Patrick released a $28.2 billion state budget for fiscal year 2011 (House 2.) This budget represents a three percent increase over estimated spending for the current fiscal year. In this continuing fiscal crisis, the governor’s budget proposes $800 million in reductions through cuts to programs, efficiencies, consolidations and debt restructuring. The Department of Early Education and Care was level funded at $509 million.

The budget released today comes just weeks after the Legislature passed and the governor signed “An Act Relative to the Achievement Gap,” a law that establishes a comprehensive framework for turning around underperforming schools and districts. Embedded in that legislation are several provisions that recognize the crucial role that high-quality early education plays in ensuring young children’s future academic success. The budget that Gov. Patrick released today prioritizes key investments essential to building a system of high-quality early education and care in the commonwealth.

FY11 Budget Tracker

Below are final FY10 budget allocations and proposed FY11 allocations for EEA's priority items:

MA Universal Pre-Kindergarten (3000-5075)
FY10 GAA: $8,000,000
FY10 post 9c: $8,000,000
FY11 House 2: $9,000,000

Quality Supports (3000-6000)
FY10 GAA: $14,080,868
FY10 post 9c: $14,032,568
FY11 House 2: $4,434,038 (see 3000-7050)

Massachusetts State Scholarship Program (7070-0065)
funds Early Childhood Educators Scholarship
FY10 GAA: $3,200,000
FY10 post 9c: $3,200,000
FY11 House 2: No earmark language

Head Start (3000-5000)
FY10 GAA: $8,000,000
FY10 post 9c: $8,000,000
FY11 House 2: $8,000,000

Access Management (3000-2000)
FY10 GAA: $9,782,724
FY10 post 9c: $5,358,771
FY11 House 2: $5,933,862

Mental Health (3000-6075)
FY10 GAA: $1,000,000
FY10 post 9c: $1,000,000
FY11 House 2: $1,500,000

Services for Infants and Parents (3000-7050)
FY10 GAA: $5,000,000
FY10 post 9c: $5,000,000
FY11 House 2: $17,025,836 (includes funding from Quality Supports in FY10)

Kindergarten Expansion Grants (7030-1002)
FY10 GAA: $25,948,947
FY10 post 9c: $25,948,947
FY11 House 2: $25,948,947

October 9C Cuts Impacting FY10 Budget for Early Education and Care

On October 29, facing one of the worst fiscal crises in state history, Governor Deval Patrick called for $352 million in immediate reductions to the current Fiscal Year 2010 (FY10) state budget under his 9C authority, a statutory power to decrease spending when state revenue estimates no longer support projected spending. The governor plans to reduce spending by $277 million across executive agencies and to seek additional authority to cut another $75 million in other areas of government.

The governor’s announcement came in response to a projected $600 million budget deficit. Tax revenues for the first quarter of the fiscal year are reported to be $212 million lower than expected. Click here for more information on the 9C process and here for a complete list of spending reductions.

The Department of Early Education and Care’s (EEC) FY10 budget will be reduced by $16.4 million (3%) through the following line items:

EEC Administration (3000-1000): Reduction of $322,000 to $11.62 million

Access Management (3000-2000): Reduction of $4.42 million to $5.36 million

Income Eligible Child Care (3000-4060): Reduction of $11.61 million to $261.95 million

Quality Supports (3000-6000): Reduction of $48,300 to $14.03 million

Click here for more detailed information on spending reductions in early education and care. These budget cuts take effect immediately. We will continue to monitor the state budget and share further updates as they become available.

Fiscal Year 2011 (FY11) Budget Timeline
FY11 starts on July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011

Governor’s Budget January 27, 2010	The budget begins as a bill that Governor Patrick submits to the House of Representatives, referred to as House 2.

House Ways & Means Budget April, 2010	The House Ways and Means Committee reviews House 2 and then develops its own budget recommendations.

House Budget May, 2010	The House Ways and Means budget is then debated, amended and voted on by the full House of Representatives, becoming the House budget bill.

Senate Ways & Means Budget May, 2010	The House then passes its budget bill to the Senate. The Senate Ways and Means Committee reviews that version and develops its own recommendation.

Senate Budget May, 2010	Once debated, amended and voted on by the Senate, it becomes the Senate's budget bill.

House and Senate Conference Committee Budget June 2010	House and Senate leadership assign members to a joint "conference committee" to negotiate the differences between the House and Senate budgets. The conference committee then returns its compromise budget to the House for a vote. Once approved by the House, the budget goes to the Senate for its approval.

Vetoes July 2010	From there, the Senate passes the bill to the Governor who has ten days to review and approve it, or make vetoes recommendations, but may not add anything to the budget.

Overrides	The House and Senate may vote to override the Governor's vetoes, with a two-thirds majority vote in each chamber.

Final Budget July 1, 2010	July 1, 2010, the first day of the 2011 Fiscal Year, the FY11 budget becomes effective.

View EEA's Budget Guide for early education advocates.

Click here for an early education funding overview in the FY10 state budget.

617.330.7380 400 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02110 info@earlyeducationforall.org