AMHERST — Potential layoffs of educators at K-12 schools across the state next fiscal year, which Massachusetts Teachers Association President Max Page said could be catastrophic, is prompting his organization to ask the Legislature to take a three-prong approach to addressing the problem — use Fair Share Amendment surpluses, find ways to increase corporate tax revenues and dip into the state’s reserves.

During the Joint Committee on Ways and Means hearing focused on education and local aid spending, held at the Campus Center at the University of Massachusetts on March 24, Page told legislators that the MTA is calling on them to help school districts facing significant financial struggles, as well as defending higher public education from federal funding cuts.

“The dangers public education face now are unprecedented, and we need to do more than just play defense,” Page said.

The committee held its hearing as school districts across the state are facing significant budget shortfalls and many have announced staff reductions, or attempts to shore up local education spending through Proposition 2½ tax-cap overrides.

The MTA is part of an alliance, United for Our Future, committed to addressing the fiscal crisis facing K-12 school districts. Page urged lawmakers to prepare a fiscal year 2026 budget using $200 million from surplus funds in the Fair Share Amendment, which is bringing in $2.5 billion each year on taxes from the state’s highest earners to support education and transportation.

Page explained that this is a dangerous time due to what he termed the most “serious attack on public education in our lifetimes,” including the dismantling of the federal Department of Education by the Trump administration that would translate into less federal funding for public education at the local level. Page said that “Trump and his ilk” aim to eviserate free public education, crush research missions at universities and eliminate open dialogue and protests.

“We can’t just fight back and remain in a defensive crouch, we also have to fight forward,” Page said.

In addition to tapping into the Fair Share surplus, Page urged the committee to increase the amount of money the state is allowed to collect from global intangible low-taxed income, or GILTI. Massachusetts taxes this multinational corporate income moved into tax havens at a rate of 5%, while other states tax to the allowable 50%. By getting in line with other states, he said, Massachusetts could generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.

Legislators also have to be prepared to tap into the state’s rainy day fund, he said.

“It is raining, so we call on you to use that as well,” Page said.

Meeting student challenges

On K-12 funding, the MTA is urging the Legislature to improve the special education circuit breaker reimbursements, increasing this to $150 million to deal with skyrocketing costs, and is also proposing $123 million to implement the Whole Child Grant Program, with the dual purpose of addressing both the fiscal crisis and the mental health crisis in schools. This program would provide grants to help districts hire more school counselors, education support professionals and other key staff, as well as implement other programs and policies that meet the growing social and emotional needs of our students.

“The challenges our students face sometimes turn into violence that directly affects the health and welfare of some of our members,” Page said.

Page emphasized the need to ensure students do not lose access to important services and programs in the wake of funding cuts related to changes in how the U.S. Department of Education operates and how other federal agencies function that support public education. “We all have an obligation to defend public education,” Page said.

The MTA is suggesting that a new foundation review budget commission be launched immediately to determine how best to fund local K-12 schools.

Many speakers told the legislative panel that the formula used to calculate state aid to school districts is inadequate, especially when it comes to covering the costs of special education and transportation.

Mary Bourque, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, said financial strains are undeniable as expenses are rising at a greater rate than revenues for out-of-district special education costs, transportation, utilities and health insurance. This is leading to widespread gaps in education, including staff layoffs, reductions of programs and services and school closures, and communities seeking Proposition 2½ overrides to maintain services.

“In the long term there is no question that Massachusetts must make bold revisions to our education funding formula,” Bourque said.

Bourque suggested a four-pronged financial relief strategy that includes: fully funding the increased reimbursement of the special education circuit breaker, covering a higher percentage of transportation costs; continuing to fund the Student Opportunity Act toward statutory levels; fully fund rural school aid at $60 million, rather than $16 million; and increasing the minimum per pupil aid to $150 per student.

If enacted, Bourque said, these “would go a long way to help balance budgets and maintain the level services they provided for FY26.”

Local testimony

Bridget Hynes, vice chairwoman of Amherst School Committee, said up to 40 positions could be cut across Amherst and the Amherst-Pelham Regional K-12 school districts, illustrating the challenges. “Position after position of very meaningful things to our families are at risk this year,” Hynes said.

Public colleges and universities also are scrambling to mitigate any impacts from cuts in federal funding sources.

UMass President Marty Meehan said the system is trying to maintain a mission of affordable, accessible and high quality education, even through the disruptions of recent months. such as uncertainties around National Institutes of Health grants that jeopardize critical research.

Of the $961 million in federal funding each year to UMass, $285 million last year came from NIH grants, with $423 million in student financial aid. Meehan added that 10,000 employees at UMass have salaries supported partly or mostly by federal money.

Meehan said UMass is requesting $877 million for fiscal year 2026, a 5%, $44 million increase.

“In order to address federal cuts and continuing supporting our students and faculty and staff, we must be more aggressive with revenue from other sources, which makes our fiscal 2026 state appropriation critical to the university, in addition to our other source of revenue, like tuition,” Meehan said.

Marc Liberatore, co-president of the Massachusetts Society of Professors, which represents faculty members and librarians at UMass, cited an example of what is happening at public colleges across the state. A federal grant that supports students studying cybersecurity, and is tethered to future careers in public service, is on hold, seizing up the program.

Felicity Oliveira, a student trustee at UMass and a senior marketing major in the Isenberg School of Management, told legislators that financial aid allocations need to be done earlier in the year so that students can plan for other essentials like housing and meal plans.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.