In a recent government meeting, Tracy Novick, a field director with the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, delivered an insightful presentation on Chapter 70 funding, a critical component of Massachusetts' public education finance system. Novick, who has over a decade of experience in school finance, emphasized the historical context and evolution of the funding model, which has deep roots in the state's early governance.

She began by highlighting Massachusetts' status as home to the oldest public education system in the United States, established shortly after English settlement. The Old Deluder Satan Act of 1647 mandated that towns with a certain population establish schools, marking the beginning of a locally funded education system. Novick noted that this model placed the financial responsibility on local communities, a practice that has persisted throughout Massachusetts' history.

The presentation also touched on significant legislative milestones, including the passage of Chapter 766, which expanded special education funding, and Proposition 2½, which limited local revenue generation. These developments led to a series of lawsuits in the late 1980s and early 1990s, culminating in the landmark McDuffie case. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the state has a constitutional obligation to provide public education for all children, regardless of their community's wealth.

In response to this ruling, the Massachusetts legislature enacted the Education Reform Law of 1993, which not only established state standards and revised school committee powers but fundamentally restructured public education funding in the state. Novick's presentation underscored the ongoing challenges and responsibilities of state and local governments in ensuring equitable access to education for all students in Massachusetts.