Politics & Government

Gov. Patrick Pleased Schools Will Receive Funds

Governor spoke about what the Federal Education Jobs Bill will mean to the schools.

Marblehead will receive $272,841 and use that money to fund five jobs, through the Federal Education Jobs bill signed earlier this month.

The legislation, which passed by a vote of 247-161, provides more than $204 million to Massachusetts for education funding. 

"We will be fully funding Chapter 70, which provides state funding to public schools," Gov. Deval Patrick said in an exclusive interview with MarbleheadPatch Friday. "The bottom has fallen out everywhere, but we've been able to preserve classroom jobs so ratios of teachers to students don't get out of control."

Find out what's happening in Marbleheadwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Its passage is expected to save an estimated 2,900 jobs for teachers and other education professionals across the state prior to the beginning of the school year.

Superintendent Dr. Paul Dulac did not immediately return calls regarding where the five positions would be saved. Patrick said he hopes Marblehead is able to use the money to keep jobs that would have otherwise been cut. 

Find out what's happening in Marbleheadwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"We've done well in Massachusetts in the form of support from the state, but we weren't fully funding the state obligation," Patrick said. "Kids don't get to sit out the third grade because we're in a recession. We need to be able to sustain funding for them."

In addition to federal funding for education jobs, the state has been awarded $250 million in Race To The Top dollars. Patrick said; while the money will be used to close the achievement gap in under-performing schools, Marblehead will benefit as well.

"It will be good everywhere," Patrick said. "We are using tools to close the achievement gap and innovation is good everywhere. There may be things we find that will work in Marblehead."

In addition to the infusion of money from the feds, the state will also use the last of the allocated money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

"We'll take a portion of the K-12 money and use it in higher education now," Patrick said, noting the recent infusion was able to take the pressure off those lower grades. "Higher education took a sharp cut."

Patrick, deep into his re-election campaign, said he is proud of the role he's been able to take in strengthening state public education.

"We've made historic levels of commitment under these heavy circumstances," Patrick said, noting his gratitude to the Legislature and Congress.

Patrick has long maintained education is a personal priority after experiencing how it changed his own life, he said.

"We have a generational responsibility to leave this place better than we found it. We bring that approach to how we govern, and fund education. That's the best example of how we can bear our responsibility. It feels really good."


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