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<p>Please see the below information from DESE we received in reference to Rural School Aid.<br>
<br>
Erica<br>
----- Forwarded message from "Reis, Jacqueline (DESE)" <<a href="mailto:Jacqueline.Reis@mass.gov">Jacqueline.Reis@mass.gov</a>> -----<br>
Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2025 23:22:27 +0000<br>
From: "Reis, Jacqueline (DESE)" <<a href="mailto:Jacqueline.Reis@mass.gov">Jacqueline.Reis@mass.gov</a>><br>
Subject: Rural School Aid<br>
To: "Bourque, Mary M. - ext" <<a href="mailto:mbourque@massupt.org">mbourque@massupt.org</a>>, "Scott, Tom - ext" <<a href="mailto:scott@massupt.org">scott@massupt.org</a>>, "Hedrick, Erica - ext" <<a href="mailto:ehedrick@massupt.org">ehedrick@massupt.org</a>>, Glenn Koocher <<a href="mailto:gkoocher@masc.org">gkoocher@masc.org</a>>, <a href="mailto:Amartin@masc.org">Amartin@masc.org</a>, Jenifer Handy <<a href="mailto:jhandy@masc.org">jhandy@masc.org</a>><br>
<br></p>
<div class="elementToProof" style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Dear MASS and MASC leadership,</div>
<div class="elementToProof" style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </div>
<div class="elementToProof" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Today, DESE posted the <a href="https://www.doe.mass.edu/finance/chapter70/foundation/fy2026-rural-school-aid.html" title="https://www.doe.mass.edu/finance/chapter70/foundation/fy2026-rural-school-aid.html">FY2026 Rural School Aid distribution</a>. Consistent with the line-item language, we identified districts eligible for Rural School Aid based on their student density (not more than 35 students per square mile) and their per capita income (less than $57,834 per capita according to 2022 data from the Department of Revenue). Based on these criteria, there are 65 school districts that are eligible to receive Rural School Aid in FY2026. </div>
<div style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Rural School Aid can be used for a wide variety of purposes to support district operations, with priority given to efforts to increase regional collaboration, consolidation, or other strategies to improve long-term operational efficiency and effectiveness. </div>
<div style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We will make the first payment within the next week and distribute the remaining funds later in the fiscal year. Once received, the funds should be deposited in a separate account so that they can be spent without further action on the part of the local appropriating authority by June 30, 2026. </div>
<div class="elementToProof" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We will send districts a survey link in the coming weeks so that they can report on how they plan to use these funds. Districts will also be required to report Rural School Aid as a state grant expenditure on their FY26 End of Year Reports (EOYR). </div>
<div class="elementToProof" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Please direct questions regarding Rural School Aid to</span> <span style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);"><u><a class="x_Hyperlink x_SCXW133215972 x_BCX0 x_OWAAutoLink" href="mailto:Michelle.L.Griffin@mass.gov" id="OWA6a8f3040-f68b-d191-6670-f1b6f973ee53" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); margin: 0px;">Michelle Griffin</a></u></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">. </span></div>
<div class="elementToProof" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Best wishes,</div>
<div class="elementToProof" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jackie</div>
<div class="elementToProof" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style='font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;'><img alt="DESE logo" data-outlook-trace="F:2|T:2" height="60" id="x_image_0" size="6641" src="cid:Z8IvPU-Ns0KxX9IZJHBkcNU@DCA2-WebMail-1.localdomain" style="width: 140px; height: 60px; margin: 0px;" width="140"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Arial_EmbeddedFont, Arial_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 22.0083px;"> </span></div>
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<p style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Arial_EmbeddedFont, Arial_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(21, 61, 99); line-height: 19px;"><b>Jacqueline Reis (<i>Pronouns: she, her, hers)</i></b> </span></p>
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<p style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Arial_EmbeddedFont, Arial_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(21, 61, 99); line-height: 19px;"><b>Communications Director</b></span></p>
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<p style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Arial_EmbeddedFont, Arial_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(21, 61, 99); line-height: 19px;">Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education </span></p>
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<p style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Arial_EmbeddedFont, Arial_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(21, 61, 99); line-height: 19px;">781-338-3115 (work)</span></p>
<p style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Arial_EmbeddedFont, Arial_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(21, 61, 99); line-height: 19px;">781-605-4419 (mobile)</span></p>
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<p style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Arial_EmbeddedFont, Arial_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(21, 61, 99); line-height: 19px;"><a class="x_OWAAutoLink" href="mailto:jacqueline.reis@mass.gov" id="OWA63c84d97-40fd-4246-f154-d70f3b8a6336" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" title="mailto:jacqueline.reis@mass.gov">jacqueline.reis@mass.gov</a></span></p>
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<p style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Arial_EmbeddedFont, Arial_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(21, 61, 99); line-height: 19px;">135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149 </span></p>
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<p style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(21, 61, 99); line-height: 22.0083px;"><b><i><a class="x_Hyperlink x_SCXW193862617 x_BCX0 x_OWAAutoLink" data-auth="NotApplicable" href="https://www.doe.mass.edu/sfs/attendance/" id="OWAb61c1827-a74f-68d1-f64f-0e455f28db6f" style="color: rgb(21, 61, 99); text-decoration: none; margin: 0px;">Your Presence is Powerful</a></i></b></span></p>
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----- End forwarded message -----<br></p>
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<div><span style="font-size:12px;">-----------------------------------<br>
Erica Hedrick<br>
Director of Operations</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size:12px;">Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (M.A.S.S.)</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size:12px;">ehedrick@massupt.org</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size:12px;">(T) 781-541-5098</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size:12px;">(F) 781-541-5534</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size:12px;">NEW ADDRESS EFFECTIVE 7/1/21:<br>
209 Burlington Road, Suite 113</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size:12px;">Bedford, MA 01730 </span></div>
<div><span style="font-size:12px;">www.massupt.org</span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span style="font-size:12px;">"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead</span></div>
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