What does FBRC mean in FOUNDATIONS

The Foundation Budget Review Commission (FBRC) is an independent, non-partisan commission established by the Massachusetts Legislature to investigate and review the current Commonwealth school funding formula. The FBRC was tasked with making recommendations that would ensure adequate and equitable resources for all public school students in the state.

The goal of the FBRC is to identify and recommend changes to improve the accuracy of the current commonwealth school funding formula. Their recommendations should take into account changing student population demographics, cost drivers, and other factors that have a significant impact on providing equitable and adequate resources for all public school students in Massachusetts.

The FBRC members include legislators, educators, advocates for various types of learners, finance experts, policymakers, business leaders, teachers unions leaders and others with expertise in school finance.

The FBRC was established in 2017. Their findings were released in December 2018 and their final report was released in June 2019. After completion of their work, they will be merged into a permanent commission called Education Finance Task Force (EFTF), which will continue to provide oversight of education funding issues.

The key recommendations from the FBRC include updating costs associated with special needs and English Language Learners; increasing base rates for low income students; increasing spending by districts where there is higher need; using different methodologies to calculate health insurance costs for employees; increasing transparency around district expenditures; adjusting transportation costs to reflect current levels; phasing out regional transport funds over time; investing more resources for communities with less wealth or fewer resources; redistributing excess funds from wealthier districts back into poorer ones; ensuring fair wages for educators across districts by adjusting minimum salaries; provide support services such as extended learning experiences and social emotional learning to address unique student needs.

These recommended changes would increase overall funding across districts while also investing more in districts that serve most high-needs students – those living in poverty or experiencing language challenges – resulting in increased equity among schools when it comes to educational resources and opportunities available to their students.

Generally speaking, lawmakers have been supportive of many of these proposed changes. They recognize that more equitable funding between districts can lead to better outcomes for all children regardless of where they live or what language they speak at home.

Feedback from various education stakeholders has been overwhelmingly positive with many praising FBRC’s willingness to take an objective look at how current funding levels impact certain student populations disproportionately compared to others due to poverty level or language barriers faced by many families. Parents groups have expressed hope that these changes can help ensure better access for every child regardless of background or zip code they live within Massachusetts.