Massachusetts House, Senate Leaders Roll Out Education Funding Bill

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts House and Senate leaders have unveiled a long-awaited education bill aimed at increasing aid to cities and towns by about $1.5 million over the next several years.

Supporters say the goal of the extra spending is to make sure public schools have the resources they need to provide a high-quality education to students regardless of zip code or income level.

Legislative leaders say the bill unveiled Thursday would significantly help schools that serve high percentages of low-income students.

At the same time, they say districts across the state will benefit from updates to the existing — and contentious — school funding formula. The bill will also increase spending on other school programs such as transportation, school buildings and special education.

The bill now heads to both chambers for debate.

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