BOSTON - Public school budgets around the state, including in Worcester, have taken some major hits this year to keep up with the rate of inflation. 

The Worcester Public Schools are not alone in feeling the weight of rising costs and tighter operating budgets. State leaders know, while also dealing with a tight state budget, they need to look for solutions. 

Worcester Schools said the state’s reimbursement for inflation was 1.35% but their costs increased 5.8%, leaving them with a large deficit and forcing them to eliminate about 300 positions. 

Senator Robyn Kennedy (D-First Worcester) says the state has made some major investments into early childhood education and higher education. But admits K-12 schools haven’t been the focus this session as much as they potentially should be. 

“I think there's a couple strategies from the state level, because let's be clear, our local school districts, our school committees, our superintendents need the partnership from the state, and we need the partnership from the federal government,” Kennedy said. “That has to be a partnership. So I think from the state level, there's several conversations. And at play, one of the things that we included in the Senate budget, is a task force to really understand where all these deficits came from.

The Student Opportunity Act, passed in 2019, works to close the learning gaps no matter where a student goes to school — even its maximum inflation reimbursement is well below the higher rates experienced in the last two years.

Kennedy says advocating for funding for gateway cities like Worcester, and education throughout the state continue to be her priorities.