Committee Transfers $8.13 Million to Reserve Fund
Chicopee school officials warned of a roughly $5 million state aid shortfall tied to a shift in low-income student classification.
School Committee · Meeting of March 18, 2026
Chicopee school officials warned of a roughly $5 million state aid shortfall tied to a shift in low-income student classification. Director of Budget and Finance John Mayarecki told the School Committee Wednesday the district dropped from the eleventh to the tenth low-income funding decile, falling to 69.34 percent from 70.85 percent, which cost Chicopee about $5 million it would otherwise have received under the Student Opportunity Act. Mayor View called the situation "a bit frustrating" and said officials would press state lawmakers on the formula.
The committee also heard an update on the $124.3 million Barry Elementary School rebuild near Zetella Drive, now in schematic design after a February 25 MSBA board vote, and approved an $8.13 million transfer into the district's Ed Stabilization Fund, 11-0.
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Source: the School Committee meeting of March 18, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.
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