The FY2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA) includes $15 million for Rural School Aid (line item 7061-9813). Consistent with the line item language, the Department identified districts eligible for Rural School Aid based on their student density (not more than 35 students per square mile) and their per capita income (less than $58,820 per capita according to 2020 data from the Department of Revenue). Based on these criteria, there are 68 school districts that are eligible to receive rural school aid in FY2024 .
As directed by the legislative language, rural aid for eligible districts is prioritized based on their student density, with Priority 1 funding for districts that serve no more than 11 students per square mile, Priority 2 funding for districts that serve more than 11 and not more than 21 students per square mile, and Priority 3 funding for districts that serve more than 21 and not more than 35 students per square mile. The Department allocated $7.5 million of the available funding for Priority 1 districts, $4.8 million for Priority 2 districts, and $2.7 million for Priority 3 districts. The total FY2024 line-item amount has been divided across each priority group in the same manner as FY2023. The rural aid that the districts in each priority group receive is based on a prorated share of their FY2024 Chapter 70 target aid.
Rural school aid can be used for a wide variety of purposes to support district operations, with priority given to efforts to increase regional collaboration, consolidation, or other strategies to improve long-term operational efficiency and effectiveness.
The Department will distribute the funding in multiple payments over the course of the fiscal year. Once received, the funds should be deposited in a separate account so that they can be spent without further action on the part of the local appropriating authority by June 30, 2024. We will be asking districts to complete a brief survey to report on their planned uses of these funds toward the end of the calendar year. Districts will also be required to report these funds as a state grant expenditure on their fiscal year 2024 End of Year Reports.
Please direct all questions regarding Rural School Aid to Michelle Griffin or at 781-338-6515.
Last Updated: October 17, 2023
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149
Voice: (781) 338-3000 TTY: (800) 439-2370
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