How FSA could support Public K-12 and Higher Education

The Fair Share Amendment is a proposal to amend the Massachusetts Constitution, creating an additional tax of 4 percentage points on the portion of a person’s annual income above $1 million. The new revenue, approximately $2 billion annually, would be spent on “quality public education and affordable public colleges and universities, and for the repair and maintenance of roads, bridges and public transportation.” One of our Commonwealth’s greatest strengths is our world-class education system, and the success of our economy depends on the state remaining a leader in education. The Fair Share Amendment would help ensure that the state can support public education in prekindergarten through college.

This report explores and explains five ways this dedicated funding can be used to support public education:

• Increasing educator salaries.
• Reducing class sizes.
• Investing in healthy and safe buildings.
• Creating debt-free public higher education.
• Addressing educator staffing.

The revenue derived from the Fair Share Amendment is necessary to continue investing in our public schools and give all our students access to a complete education. This is especially true of our most marginalized students, such as those who often are low-income, students of color, immigrant students, and emergent bilingual, or those who have special needs.

This document represents the first edition of staff analysis. It is intended to be interactive. Later editions will include revisions in response to member feedback.