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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 FY10 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: FY10 State Budget
On Monday, June 29, Governor Patrick signed into law a $27.05 billion budget for FY10, reducing state spending by 3% from FY09. Prior to signing, the Governor vetoed $147 million in proposed spending by the Massachusetts Legislature as part of a larger strategy to address a $5 billion budget deficit that includes:
1. $2.4 billion in cuts to programs and services;
2. $1.6 billion in federal recovery funds and reimbursement for Medicaid;
3. $1 billion in new taxes and fees (including a sales tax increase to 6.25%); and
4. $214 million from the state's "rainy day" fund
Below are allocations for EEA's priority items.
MA Universal Pre-Kindergarten (3000-5075)
FY09: $10,892,737
House Final FY10: $9,810,821
Senate Final FY10: $8,000,000
Conference Committee FY10: $8,000,000
FY10 State Budget: $8,000,000
Quality Supports (3000-6000)
FY09: $1,738,739
House Final FY10: $14,832,646
Senate Final FY10: $15,645,251 (includes $1,564,383 in federal ARRA funding)
Conference Committee FY10: $14,080,868
FY10 State Budget: $14,080,868
Professional Development (3000-6050)
FY09: $3,000,200
House Final FY10: see 3000-6000
Senate Final FY10: see 3000-6000
Conference Committee FY10: see 3000-6000
FY10 State Budget: see 3000-6000
Early Educators Scholarship Program (7070-0065)
FY09: $4,000,000
House Final FY10: Earmark language not included
Senate Final FY10: Earmark language not included
Conference Committee FY10: Earmark language not included
FY10 State Budget: $3,200,000
Head Start (3000-5000)
FY09: $9,000,000
House Final FY10: $9,000,000
Senate Final FY10: $8,000,000
Conference Committee FY10: $8,000,000
FY10 State Budget: $8,000,000
Access Management (3000-2000)
FY09: $23,270,306
House Final FY10: $9,996,599
Senate Final FY10: $9,782,724
Conference Committee FY10: $9,782,724
FY10 State Budget: $9,782,724
Mental Health (3000-6075)
FY09: $2,400,000
House Final FY10: $1,000,000
Senate Final FY10: $1,000,000
Conference Committee FY10: $1,000,000
FY10 State Budget: $1,000,000
Family Support (3000-7050)
FY09: $8,476,556
House Final FY10: $7,476,556
Senate Final FY10: $3,000,000
Conference Committee FY10: $5,000,000
FY10 State Budget: $5,000,000
Kindergarten Expansion Grants (7030-1002)
FY09: $30,802,216
House Final FY10: $27,797,666
Senate Final FY10: $26,748,947
Conference Committee FY10: $26,748,947
FY10 State Budget: $25,948,947
Rate Reserve (1599-0042)
FY09: $2,000,000
House Final FY10: not included
Senate Final FY10: not included
Conference Committee FY10: not included
FY10 State Budget: not included
*Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund: Language transferring $5 million out of this fund was eliminated by Governor Patrick.
Conference Committee FY10 Budget
The economic crisis and declining state revenues have resulted in an unprecedented budget deficit of $5 billion. The Legislature's FY10 State Budget proposal closes this gap with:
1. $1.5 billion in federal economic stimulus (ARRA)
2. $1 billion in new taxes and fees (including a sales tax increase to 6.25%)
3. Deep cuts in programs
4. Complete elimination of line-items and programs
5. $200 million from the state's rainy day fund
EEA's FY10 Budget Conference Committee Recommendations
The Universal Pre-Kindergarten Grant Program (3000-5075)
1. Support House funding ($9.81 million)
Maintaining House funding will still reduce support by 20%, potentially impacting 37 classrooms serving 650 children.
2. Support Senate line-item language
The Senate language clearly states that UPK grants are to be delivered through a system of public and private providers.
Other—Workforce Competitive Trust Fund
Remove language from Section 74 of the Senate FY10 budget transferring $5 million from the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund into the General Fund.
State Sales Tax
The Massachusetts Senate and House have both approved measures to increase the state sales tax from 5% to 6.25%. This increase is estimated to generate from $730 million (Senate proposal) to $900 million (House proposal) in new revenues needed to address budget shortfalls and preserve state programs and services.
View vote on state sale's tax: House | Senate
Senate FY10 Budget (as of May 22, 2009)
As part of their FY10 budget plan, the State Senate adopted several budget amendments, including:
1. Increasing the state sales tax by 25%, which they estimate will generate an additional $633 million in new revenue for the Commonwealth;
2. Eliminating a sales tax exemption for alcoholic beverages, estimated to bring in an additional $98 million; and
3. Expanding the local option tax for cities and towns, which would bring in an estimated $190 million to $250 million.
Language within the sales tax amendment restored funding for several of EEA's budget priorities: UPK, Head Start, Mental Health, and Family Supports
EEA's FY10 State Budget Recommendations
EEA recommends: 1) Preserving the progress made on behalf of young children and families by maintaining current funding levels in early education and care and 2) Judiciously expanding the Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) Grant Program to move the Commonwealth incrementally closer to a universally-accessible system of high-quality early education.
Specific recommendations include:
MA UPK Program (3000-5075)
EEA Recommended Total: $23.59 million ($12.7 million increase)
Accreditation/Quality Supports (3000-6000)
EEA Recommendation: $1.74 million (FY09 GAA level funding)
Professional Development (3000-6050)
EEA Recommendation: $4.56 million (FY09 GAA level funding)
Early Educator Scholarships (7070-0065)
EEA Recommendation: $4 million (FY09 GAA level funding)
Head Start (3000-5000)
EEA Recommendation: $9 million (MA Head Start Association funding request)
Access Management (3000-2000)
EEA Recommendation: $25.41 million (FY09 GAA level funding)
Rate Reserve (3000-xxxx) (currently 1599-0042)
EEA Recommendation: $5 million (Maintain FY09 GAA allocation)
Full Day Kindergarten (7030-1002)
EEA Recommendation: $33.8 million (FY09 GAA level funding)
Fiscal Year 2010 (FY10) Budget Timeline
FY10 starts on July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010
Governor’s Budget
January 28, 2009 |
The budget begins as a bill that Governor Patrick submits to the House of Representatives, referred to as House 1. |
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House Ways & Means Budget
April 15, 2009 |
The House Ways and Means Committee reviews House 1 and then develops its own budget recommendations. |
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House Budget
May 1, 2009 |
The House Ways and Means budget is then debated, amended and voted on by the full House of Representatives, becoming the House budget bill. |
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Senate Ways & Means Budget
May 13, 2009 |
The House then passes its budget bill to the Senate. The Senate Ways and Means Committee reviews that version and develops its own recommendation. |
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Senate Budget
May 2009 |
Once debated, amended and voted on by the Senate, it becomes the Senate's budget bill. |
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House and Senate Conference Committee Budget
June 2009 |
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. |
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Vetoes
July 2009 |
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. |
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Overrides |
The House and Senate may vote to override the Governor's vetoes, with a two-thirds majority vote in each chamber. |
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Final Budget
July 1, 2009 |
July 1, 2009, the first day of the 2010 Fiscal Year, the FY10 budget becomes effective. |
View EEA's Budget Guide for early education advocates. [PDF]
View early education funding overview in the FY09 state budget.
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