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Sudbury Weekly recently covered the release of a Town of Sudbury Financial Report and Reference Guide that provides a detailed analysis of Sudbury’s financial position, including comparisons to similar communities. Sudbury Weekly then published a follow-up on school spending, and will continue to cover some of the insights brought forward by the report.
This week, we’re looking at Sudbury’s State aid. Here’s the breakdown of the aid the Town received in recent years:
That light blue section is Chapter 70 aid that goes to Sudbury Public Schools. The light green is unrestricted general aid that goes to the Town and can be used for any municipal purpose.
Each type of aid has it’s own formula or means of calculation, and everything is dependent on State budgets. Setting aside the manner in which the State doles out aid, the report provides a helpful view of similar communities:
Since Chapter 70 aid to schools is the biggest portion of State aid, it’s important to note that Sudbury is in the bottom five in Chapter 70 aid among the towns in the analysis.
UPDATE: While Sudbury’s Chapter 70 aid for Sudbury Public Schools appears to be among the lowest in this comparison, it’s important to highlight that Chapter 70 aid goes directly to Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. Most of the towns in this comparison have K-12 districts, whereas Sudbury has two districts. Lincoln-Sudbury received roughly $4 million in total Chapter 70 aid in Fiscal Year 2025 according to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. When Chapter 70 aid for both districts is combined, Sudbury is right in the middle of the comparable towns.
As for unrestricted general aid, Sudbury is right in the middle of the pack. That’s likely driven by how that aid is calculated. The report states “Those communities with a lower Equalized Property Valuation (EQV) receive a higher share.”
During Sudbury’s Annual Town Meeting this week, there was much discussion about challenging fiscal years ahead. The same is true for the State, which is in the thick of their own budget season. The Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) knows the state has a “cautious” outlook for the next fiscal year, and is advocating for local aid increases on behalf of municipalities. In a recent article, they emphasize the extraordinary challenges facing Massachusetts cities and towns.
Yet another hot topic at Town Meeting was sidewalks. There was discussion about how towns are not allowed to use Community Preservation Act funds for sidewalks. That eliminates a valuable funding source for sidewalks. But another funding source, albeit through reimbursement, is the state’s Chapter 90 program. Sidewalks are eligible for Chapter 90. But Sudbury’s Chapter 90 has, according to the Town report, declined since 2017, all while cost escalation and inflation were skyrocketing.
The data in the report, combined with the gloomy headlines about the State’s 2025-2026 budget, one thing is clear: Sudbury can’t expect the State to alleviate local budget pressures.