Boudreau Proposes Specific Fixes to Chapter 70 Funding Formula

Former Gardner City Councilor, former Hubbardston Town Administrator, and Public Logic Founder Nathan Boudreau hasn’t won the seat in the 2nd Worcester District yet. In fact, the primary is not until September. But, Boudreau is positioning himself to hit the ground running should he win with very specific proposals to help fix some funding issues in the 2nd Worcester District. Read the Press Release of May 17, 2026, CLICK HERE. Note that in our graphic, Westminster is shown – it is in a School District with Ashburnham, but not part of the 2nd Worcester District itself.

Gardner Magazine’s Max and Maxine Rogers debate the finer points of Boudreau’s proposal and their discussion explains things in a way we can all understand. Listen on any device, CLICK PLAY.

DEBATE – Nathan Boudreau Policy Proposals

State officials often celebrate “record-breaking” education investments, pointing to a statewide appropriation that has reached approximately $7.66 billion. But in the 2nd Worcester District, those press-release victories feel like a different language. While the capital celebrates, our local school committees are forced to make agonizing cuts to staff and programs.

This disconnect isn’t a matter of local mismanagement; it is a structural failure written into the code of the state’s Chapter 70 funding formula. Nathan Boudreau, a candidate for State Representative and a public policy analyst, recently went through the formula line by line to audit its impact on our specific towns. His conclusion is clear: “Structural problems require structural solutions.” To fix a system that is mathematically designed to leave small-city and rural districts behind, the person we send to Boston must be a worker-candidate who can “show the work” on day one.

Boudreau has drafted five specific, unfiled amendments that address the formula’s core failures. Crucially, these require no new taxes and do not take money away from other districts; instead, they utilize existing “Fair Share” revenue—the millionaire’s tax surtax already earmarked for education in the state budget.

  • Hold-Harmless Transparency (Cost: <$50K): Amends c.70, s.6 to require the state to publish the inflation-adjusted erosion data it already calculates, making the 38% loss of purchasing power a visible part of the budget debate.
  • Enrollment Smoothing (Cost: $8–15M): Amends c.70, s.3 to use a three-year rolling enrollment average for districts under 1,500 students, preventing sudden budget shocks when a handful of families move away.
  • RLC Growth Cap (Cost: $10–20M): Amends c.70, s.3 to cap required local contribution increases at the legal limits set by Proposition 2½, ending the “Perfect Storm.”
  • Inflation-Indexed Minimum Aid (Cost: $0 new): Restructures the existing $52.2M Fair Share supplement to ensure that minimum aid growth is tied to actual inflation.
  • Mandatory Formula Review (Cost: <$500K): Amends c.70, s.4 to force the Foundation Budget Review Commission into a permanent five-year cycle with a mandatory 180-day legislative response requirement.

The Local Impact: Real Numbers for the 2nd Worcester District

These aren’t just abstract policy goals; they represent a combined $2.57 million in additional aid for the schools. Gardner Magazine has offered to interview Nathan Boudreau about his plans and we will make that interview available to you as soon as we do it.