STATE LEGISLATURE PASSES FY2024 BUDGET; New Bedford local projects and programs to benefit from funds

STATE LEGISLATURE PASSES FY2024 BUDGET; NEW BEDFORD LOCAL PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS TO BENEFIT FROM FUNDS

July 31, 2023

BOSTON, MA – On Monday, July 31, 2023, Representative Antonio F. D. Cabral (D-New Bedford) joined his House and Senate colleagues in unanimously passing a $56.2 billion budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2024. This budget responds to the needs of residents, makes targeted investments that provide support for families across the Commonwealth, and includes many priorities championed by Rep. Cabral.

The City of New Bedford will receive $27,500,383 in unrestricted general government aid for the City’s budget. The New Bedford Public Schools will receive $224,099,122 in state funding, an increase of $25,013,084 million over FY23’s allocation. The budget funds the third year of a six-year implementation plan for the Student Opportunity Act (SOA), which was enacted in 2019 to ensure that public schools have the resources needed to provide high-quality education to students across the state, regardless of zip code or income level. “This funding increase delivers on the promise of the Student Opportunity Act to ensure more equitable funding for schools, especially like those in New Bedford that serve low- income and English Language Learner (ELL) students,” said Rep. Cabral.

Additionally, the budget includes the following education initiatives:

  • $172 million for Permanent Universal School Meals
  • $50 million for free community college beginning in the Fall of 2024, including:
    • $20 million for MassReconnect free community college for students 25 and older
    • $18 million for financial assistance to students pursuing degrees in nursing
    • In-state tuition and financial aid for undocumented high school graduates and GED holders
  • Provides an additional $30 per pupil in minimum aid supplements, bringing the minimum aid
    total to $60 per pupil

“These investments in Education demonstrate our state’s continued commitment to students, educators, and families, as well as our commitment to ensuring every child can access a high-quality education. It is what makes Massachusetts a national leader on Education. As a former public school teacher, I could not be prouder of these investments and I know New Bedford students and educators will benefit greatly as a result,” said Rep. Cabral.

New Bedford

As a direct result of his advocacy, Rep. Cabral secured $680,000 in FY24 for these local New Bedford
programs:

  • $200,000 for the Greater New Bedford Community Health Center’s addiction and opioid treatment services
  • $100,000 for the South Coast Youth Courts of New Bedford and Fall River
  • $80,000 for Dennison Memorial Community Center
  • $75,000 for AHA! Arts, History, & Architecture of New Bedford
  • $75,000 for the Immigrants’ Assistance Center
  • $50,000 for the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center
  • $50,000 for the Frederick Douglass House
  • $25,000 for the New Bedford Festival Theatre
  • $25,000 for the Cape Verdean Association of New Bedford

As a co-sponsor, Rep. Cabral also helped secure funding for these other local organizations:

  • $150,000 for Buzzards Bay Coalition
  • $100,000 for the UMass Dartmouth College of Nursing and Health Sciences
  • $100,000 for the UMass Dartmouth Cranberry Health Research Center
  • $80,000 for the UMass Dartmouth Leduc Center
  • $75,000 for the Greater New Bedford Opioid Task Force
  • $75,000 for the Southcoast LGBTQ Network
  • $55,000 for the Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey
  • $50,000 for New Bedford Coastal Foodshed
  • $50,000 for the Girls Design Academy

Rep. Cabral, a long-time sponsor and advocate, also secured $4,250,000 for the ParentChild+ Program; an increase of $250,000 from FY23. This statewide program offers early education home visits to low-income families with children between the ages of sixteen months and four years, and directly benefits New Bedford families from the Hayden McFadden Elementary School and the John A. Parker Elementary School to name a few.

“The work these organizations do is far-reaching and vital to our community. From ensuring positive youth development, promoting the creativity and resiliency of downtown, providing workforce and citizenship education to our immigrant residents, preserving our multicultural history, and providing vital health services to our community, these programs are making New Bedford a model Gateway City, deserving of continued investment and development. I’ve been a fierce champion of these programs for many years and I’m proud to be a partner in their important work,” said Rep. Cabral.

Rep. Cabral again secured $550,000 for UMass Dartmouth’s School of Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) for groundfish fisheries research. Also, working with Senate colleagues, Rep. Cabral helped deliver $250,000 for the Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture at UMass Dartmouth. “UMass Dartmouth is not just an affordable option for local college students, but also a focal point of our community, bringing together the best of our local culture and business to stimulate economic development that works for the South Coast and reflects our strengths beyond our community,” said Rep. Cabral. “SMAST and the Center for Portuguese Studies are at the core of that mission.”

Gateway Cities

Rep. Cabral and the Gateway Cities Legislative Caucus (GCLC) focused their budget priorities on education support programs and community development initiatives that meet the specific needs of Gateway Cities, such as New Bedford. “This is one of the most successful budgets for the GCLC’s priorities in history and it reflects the unique needs of our constituents,” said Rep. Cabral. “It also speaks to the strength of the caucus and our ability to voice our unique needs to leadership.” The GCLC secured:

  • $12.6 Million for Dual Enrollment grants, which enables high school students to earn college credit. An increase of $600,000 from FY23.
  • $1 Million for the English Language Learners Gateway Cities Program
  • $1 Million for the Transformative Development Fund to support community-led revitalization
    efforts
  • $60 Million for Adult Basic Education/ESOL.
  • $15 Million for Early College programs, with priority given to programs that serve students who
    are currently underrepresented in college. An increase of $5,150,000 million from FY23.

Having been passed by the House and Senate, the budget now goes to Governor Healey for her signature.