State Senator Cynthia Creem just announced that the Senate’s FY24 Budget is complete and shared a number of budget items that will benefit Newton programs and services. As Majority Leader in the Massachusetts Senate, with thirty-seven Democrats and three Republicans, Senator Creem achieved a wide range of budget goals for the Commonwealth and for her district: Brookline, Newton, and Wellesley.
According to the update, the FY24 budget includes the following:
- $27,433,806 for Chapter 70 aid to Newton elementary and secondary schools;
- $7,025,359 in Unrestricted General Aid/Local Aid to Newton;
- $10,000,000 for Massachusetts climate change resiliency programs;
- $35 million for Emergency Food Assistance;
- $503.8 million for the Special Education Circuit Breaker;
- $28.9 million in funding for Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity – METCO;
- doubling the funding for public school Hate Crime Prevention;
- allocating additional funding to teach civics in Massachusetts public schools.
Local Newton programs benefitting from state funding include:
- Nourishing Newton developed with Senator Creem’s state budget support during the pandemic, as a partnership of the Charles River Chamber of Commerce and local restaurants to supply food to needy Newton residents
- Newton At Home, which offers support and services enabling seniors to remain in their homes
- Carroll Center for the Blind which offers training and support for visually impaired residents
- Pathways to Possible which provides a range of services to help clients achieve greater independence
Senator Creem also filed the following local amendments which were successfully included in the budget:
- Funding for Cheesecake Brook and Farlow Park restoration and improvements
- Public Hearing Requirement for DCR prior to any demolition of the structure at 107 Charles Street in Auburndale
