BOSTON – House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) and State Senator Brendan P. Crighton (D-Lynn) secured $100,000 for upgrades to the Lynnfield High School auditorium as part of a $1.39 billion supplemental spending bill that provides funding for education and transportation-related initiatives.
House Bill 4227, which is funded primarily through surplus revenues generated by the voter-approved Fair Share surtax on incomes more than $1 million, was enacted by the Legislature on June 18, and is now on Governor Maura Healey’s desk for her review and signature. The bill reflects a compromise agreement between earlier versions of the bill passed by the House and the Senate.
Lynnfield High School’s funding earmark will pay for improvements to enhance the daily educational and after school uses of the school auditorium, including the staging of student drama and musical productions.
“This funding will facilitate upgrades to the LHS auditorium that will benefit students at all grade levels at the high school,” said Representative Jones. “I was happy to work closely with Senator Crighton to secure this funding on behalf of the town.”
“In collaboration with Leader Jones, I was proud to secure funding for infrastructure upgrades to the Lynnfield High School auditorium,” said Senator Crighton. “This earmark will support the creative arts and educational activities that utilize this space.”
Jones and Crighton noted that the Legislature is constitutionally required to utilize Fair Share revenues strictly for education and transportation purposes. The supplemental spending bill includes $716 million for transportation-related initiatives and $593.5 million for education-related programs.
While a majority of the transportation funding ($535 million) will go to the MBTA, House Bill 4227 also sets aside $103 million in transportation-related funding that will directly assist cities and towns, including $80 million in supplemental local road funding, half of which is directed at small and rural communities. Another $16.4 million is included in the bill to help communities pay for the repair of municipally owned small bridges and culverts, along with $7 million for maintaining unpaved roads.
Jones and Crighton said the education funding component of the supplemental budget includes $248 million that will be made available to school districts in the form of special education circuit breaker reimbursements. Of this total, $190 million is funded through the surtax and will be used to support Fiscal Year 2026 reimbursement payments for costs incurred in Fiscal Year 2025. The remaining $58 million will be funded through the Student Opportunity Act Investment Fund.
Another $100 million is allocated in the bill for grants to build capacity for additional career technical education school opportunities across the state. Of this total, $35 million will be made available to comprehensive high schools and $15 million set aside for a pilot program for comprehensive high schools to support career and vocational technical annex buildings on their campuses.
Governor Healey has until June 28 to sign House Bill 4227 into law.
