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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.
In the absence of a comprehensive early education and care funding stream, public funding for the early education and care of children is spread thinly across 12 state budget lines in the three state education agencies. With a Massachusetts win in the federal Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge competition, now is the time to leverage momentum in early childhood by increasing state investments in high-quality early education and care.
BUDGET UPDATE
On January 25, Governor Deval Patrick released a $32.3 billion budget recommendation for fiscal year 2013 that includes $260 million in new revenues generated, in part, by taxing the sale of candy and soda, raising the cigarette tax, and expanding the bottle bill.
While the governor’s budget level funds many items related to early education and care, Patrick, in his budget message, noted that one of his “tough choices” was to limit funding of child care vouchers for children in low-income families, which he said will lead to growth in the waiting list. The governor’s budget would increase funding for full-day kindergarten grants by $3 million. The Gateway Cities Education Agenda, a $10 million initiative in the Executive Office of Education, includes a $575,000 Gateway Cities Early Literacy Programs line item, targeted to professional development for family child care providers and support for families whose children are enrolled in family child care programs. See below for a summary of key early education and care line items in the governor's budget (House 2),
and check this page for updates throughout the coming months.
EEC Administration (3000-1000)
FY12 GAA: $11,683,491
FY13 House 2: $12,183,705
Access Management (3000-2000)
FY12 GAA: $5,933,862
FY13 House 2: $5,933,862
Supportive Child Care (3000-3050)
FY12 GAA: $77,448,576
FY13 House 2: see 3000-4060
TANF (3000-4050)
FY12 GAA: $132,458,313
FY13 House 2: see 3000-4060
Income Eligible (3000-4060)
FY12 GAA: $232,897,940
FY13 House 2: $434,697,067
Head Start (3000-5000)
FY12 GAA: $7,500,000
FY13 House 2: $7,500,000
MA Universal Pre-Kindergarten (3000-5075)
FY12 GAA: $7,500,000
FY13 House 2: $7,500,000
Mental Health (3000-6075)
FY12 GAA: $750,000
FY13 House 2: $750,000
Services for Infants and Parents (3000-7050)
FY12 GAA: $18,186,633
FY13 House 2: $18,186,633
Reach Out and Read (3000-7070)
FY12 GAA: $800,000
FY13 House 2: $800,000
Kindergarten Expansion Grants (7030-1002)
FY12 GAA: $22,948,947
FY13 House 2: $25,948,947
Massachusetts State Scholarship Program (7070-0065)
funds Early Childhood Educators Scholarship
FY12 GAA: $87,607,756 Language preserves FY11 funding levels
FY13 House 2: $87,549,363
Executive Office of Education: Gateway Cities Education Agenda
Programs for English Language Learners in Gateway Cities (7009-6400)
FY13 House 2: $3,750,000
Gateway Cities Student Support Counselors (7009-6401)
FY13 House 2: $3,640,000
Gateway Cities Career Academies (7009-6402)
FY13 House 2: $1,008,000
Gateway Cities Early Literacy Programs (7009-6403)
FY13 House 2: $575,000
Innovation Fund (7009-6404)
FY13 House 2: $1,000,000
View EEA's FY13 state budget recommendations. [PDF]
View the early education funding overview in the FY12 state budget.
Fiscal Year 2013 (FY13) Budget Timeline
FY13 starts on July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013
Governor’s Budget
January 2012 |
The budget begins as a bill that Governor Patrick submits to the House of Representatives, referred to as House 2. |
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House Ways & Means Budget
April 2012 |
The House Ways and Means Committee reviews House 2 and then develops its own budget recommendations. |
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House Budget
May 2012 |
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 2012 |
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 2012 |
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 2012 |
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 2012 |
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, 2012 |
July 1, 2012, the first day of the 2013 Fiscal Year, the FY13 budget becomes effective. |
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