‘We can’t tax the bears and squirrels’: Shutesbury advocates for rural school aid

SHUTESBURY — When students, teachers and community members exited Shutesbury Elementary School at the conclusion of the school day on Tuesday, they surrounded the small building in an effort to send a clear message to state officials in Boston: “Shutesbury needs rural aid!”

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One hundred and twenty-three students took part in the organized action advocating for rural school aid to support education in western Massachusetts and across the state. Students held signs and encircled the school to pose for an aerial photo that will be sent to the State House as part of the advocacy.

Monday marked the start of the Rural and Declining Enrollment Schools Week of Action, a movement spearheaded by local education and municipal officials to advocate for financial supports that would benefit rural schools experiencing enrollment decline and stagnant state funding. Additionally, the movement involves a push to look at funding equity for rural communities in state formulas, such as Chapter 70.

At Shutesbury Elementary School, officials shared the need for rural school aid to be fully funded at the Special Commission on Rural School Districts’ 2022 recommendation of at least $60 million as part of the governor’s budget, rather than the proposed $20 million for fiscal year 2027. In the current fiscal year, Shutesbury Elementary received $75,000 in rural school aid out of the $12 million that was made available for schools across the state. Of the FY26 budget, 85.6% was covered by the town, and 2.5% comes from rural school aid.

Anna Heard, the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District School Committee representative from Shutesbury, said rural school aid is only increasing at a rate of 2% per year. She argued that revenue collected through the Fair Share Amendment, which implemented a 4% surtax on annual taxable income over $1 million, is not supporting education as much as it should.

The Amherst-Pelham Regional School District, like other districts in the region, is seeing an increase in its budget and further reliance on towns. The district’s latest budget figure, following nearly $2 million in cuts, stands at $38.85 million, with the towns being responsible for more than half of that, or $25.57 million. Shutesbury’s assessment is $1.79 million, representing an increase of less than 1% over the current fiscal year’s numbers.

Heard said the issue becomes what can be cut while maintaining a functioning school that supports students.

Shutesbury School Committee Vice President Nate Longcope shared how, when money for the school remains limited, other school project expenses continue to add up and projects are delayed while money is moved around in the budgets to cover essentials.

“We’re spending money on our budget to deal with an aging oil tank, a parking lot,” he said. “And that’s taking money out of our curriculum.”

Anne Magill, Shutesbury Elementary School’s principal, said it all comes down to making sure students are learning in a positive environment that can support them.

“It’s really about how do we support our students best, and they shouldn’t be penalized because they’re in the country,” she said. “We can’t tax the bears and squirrels. We don’t have a lot of major businesses in the town to help support [the tax base], and it’s so important to be able to give the kids what they deserve.”

Reaction to student involvement

While adults may be handling much of the nuts and bolts of the rural school advocacy week, students are also getting involved in their own ways.

According to Magill, the school spoke to its students about this week of action by sharing information on what a rural school is.

“Kids thought that meant that we follow the rules, which is true,” she said with a giggle. “But it was really about what makes our demographic special. Why is it special to be in a small community like ours and what are some of the ways that the taxes that we pay help our school?”

While students enjoyed the sunny weather with their friends and teachers for this advocacy action, Heard said it was “heartwarming.”

“And also heartbreaking,” she added, “because to require the kids to beg for money to fund their school is really sad, but these kids care. They understand what’s going on and they want to pay the teachers. They want to have the programs that make school fun.”

Longcope said he has two daughters at Shutesbury Elementary, which he noted is an award-winning school, but it has some of the lowest-paid employees.

“And that’s because of funding,” he said. “It’s upsetting.”

Even the backdrop of Tuesday’s event was to send a plea out east for better support for schools like Shutesbury Elementary. Longcope said he was proud to see his kids getting involved and advocating for a better future.

“I’m psyched that they’re going to be activists,” he said. “They’re going to want to have a fair and equitable society, just like their father and just like his father.”

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