A majority of the state legislature opposes Question 2, the ballot question that would allow unlimited charter school expansion anywhere in the state, take millions of dollars away from successful local district public schools, and cause the elimination of music and art programs, increased class sizes, and other damaging cuts in the schools that most families choose.

“Many legislators have roots in local government, as school committee members, city councilors, and selectmen. They understand firsthand the harm Question 2 would do to our local school districts and the students in our local public schools,” said Juan Cofield, president of the New England Area Conference of the NAACP and chair of the Campaign to Save Our Public Schools. “We’re grateful for the support of so many elected officials, including supporters and opponents of charter schools, in our campaign to protect local schools from the billions of dollars in cuts that this irresponsible ballot question would cause.”

The legislators join a growing list of organizations who oppose Question 2, including the Massachusetts PTA, the Massachusetts Elementary School Principals' Association, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, the NAACP New England Area Conference, Progressive Massachusetts, Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts, and city councils, school committees, and boards of selectmen representing more than 215 communities across the state.

Not a single school committee or city council has voted to support Question 2.

Charter schools are privately run schools that operate with taxpayer funding. Every time a new charter school opens, it takes money away from the public schools in that school district. This year, according to state data, 231 local school districts will lose a projected $451,338,729 to charter schools, even after state reimbursements.¹ That’s why more than 190 school committees across the state have voted to oppose Question 2.²

A statewide commission recently reported that public schools in Massachusetts are already underfunded by more than $1 billion, even before Question 2.³ If passed, Question 2 would allow the state to approve 12 new charters schools a year, every year, forever, with no limit on how much money a single school district could lose. This would nearly triple the number of charter schools in just 10 years and take away an additional $1 billion each year from our local public schools. After 20 years, local public school districts would be losing nearly $4 billion a year to charter schools.⁴

Local communities and their school committees have no say in the approval or operation of charter schools. The state approves charter schools even when the communities where they will be located are opposed to them. This has happened in Brockton, Gloucester and many other communities.