BOSTON, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - State Senator Jo Comerford successfully pushed new legislation, ensuring fair funding for rural and under-resourced school districts. The senator’s amendment is for ‘An Act Relative to Teacher Preparation and Student Literacy’ which was passed a week ago.

It sets new statewide literacy standards along with providing professional development and funding for schools. Having garnered bi-partisan support during her speech Thursday, Comerford’s amendment targets new initiatives in the bill, so they adequately support schools that are under-funded or are in rural areas.

Comferford argued those districts can’t afford any new education mandates by the state, unless they’re given enough money to help rollout the changes, “school administrators have told me explicitly that they cannot afford to comply with more and more and more new state education mandates.”

The senator using her own home district of Northampton as an example of how so many new initiatives in under-resourced districts come at the expense of the entire municipality.

The amendment establishes the following:

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