July 28, 2004
ROMNEY, AS PART OF ED AGENDA, SIGNS SCHOOL BUILDING REFORMS
New law launches ambitious school building program, eliminates backlog
Delivering on one of the main components of his education agenda, Governor Mitt Romney today approved sweeping reforms to the Commonwealth’s school building assistance program, clearing the way for the expedited construction or renovation of 425 school projects statewide.
“Massachusetts has often been at the forefront of educational reform. In the spirit of that reform, less than seven months ago, I stood in the House Chamber surrounded by members of the General Court and asked them in my State of the State address to work with me to ‘take every step, to prepare every child, for an ever more competitive future,’” said Romney.
He added, “The centerpiece of my Legacy of Learning initiative included an ambitious school building program. Today I am pleased to say that, working with the Legislature, we delivered on that promise.”
With a waiting list that has grown to 425 projects at a price tag of more than $4 billion, the old school building assistance program was broken. Under that system, it would have taken 15 years for all of the projects on the list to receive state reimbursement.
The legislation signed today clears the program’s backlog by establishing a capital grant program, which will provide important funding at the beginning of a construction project and an accelerated reimbursement schedule. Instead of receiving payments from the state over 20 years, communities will promptly receive their final reimbursement as soon as the newly created School Building Authority has audited the project.
The reform package also sunsets the current moratorium on July 1, 2007 for new school construction projects to be added to the list. To fund the new program, one cent of the state’s sales tax will gradually be diverted over the next six years.
Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, who last week signed into law changes to the state’s burdensome public construction laws, said, “The combination of school building assistance and construction reforms is a tremendous win for our students, teachers and taxpayers.”
Under the new law, the school building assistance program will be managed by the independent Massachusetts School Building Authority overseen by a seven-member board chaired by state Treasurer Tim Cahill. Both the Secretary of Administration and Finance and the Education Commissioner will serve on the board.
“This bill is the result of months of collaborative work between my office and Senate and House leadership,” said Cahill. “I want to thank Governor Romney for signing this important bill. With his signature, in the next five years the Commonwealth can build hundreds of new schools for our children. I want to thank both Senate and House leadership for their dedication to solving this crisis. This legislation will truly build a better tomorrow for our children.”
Romney signed the bill at the Jeremiah E. Burke High School in Dorchester, which is planning a $37 million addition and renovation. With the new law, they will receive accelerated payments from the state nearly six years earlier than under the old system.
“Passage of this law will make it easier for cities and towns to receive the funding they need for local school building projects,” said Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. “Our children are our future and deserve the best learning environment we can give them – this will go a long way toward making that happen.”
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