Senate President Karen Spilka urges state to make community college free

BOSTON — State Senate President Karen Spilka appears to largely be in agreement with new Gov. Maura Healey on at least one key educational policy — free community college.

In a speech delivered to fellow state senators on Wednesday, the Ashland Democrat looked ahead to the new legislative session by declaring a plan to both return to unfinished business and by eyeing a few other issues primed for possible action under Healey.

One of those is making community college free. Citing a recent story in The Boston Globe, Spilka noted that enrollment in community colleges is declining in Massachusetts, saying potential students must decide between paying for and attending classes or working to put food on the table.

"Community college students are often working parents, recent immigrants and those from low-income backgrounds," Spilka said in prepapred remarks. "They are the very people we picture when we think of the words 'American Dream' and 'opportunity.' That is why, this session, I am calling on us to make community college free for all students, and for us to determine how we can dedicate more funds to public higher education institutions all across our state so that every young person can fulfill their dreams for their futures."

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The proposal differs slightly from one Healey offered in her inauguration speech a day later. The new governor said she will create and fund a program called MassReconnect, which would provide free community college to students ages 25 and older who do not have a college degree.

Spilka has long called for investing in public education. On Wednesday, she said the passage of a 2019 education funding reform bill often referred to as the Student Opportunity Act in her first year as president was among her "proudest accomplishments in this office." The law committed $1.5 billion in additional funding over a seven-year period toward the state's K-12 public schools.

'Let's make it free'

Now, she's pushing to ride the momentum of the Act to pass a "Student Opportunity Plan," to invest in Massachusetts' youngest learners as well as continued learning beyond high school. Her announcement that she plans this session to pursue free community college for all students was met with applause in the Senate chamber.

"It's beyond time," she said. "Let's make it free."

Investing in public higher education and reducing the cost of getting a degree will help close the racial wealth gap in Massachusetts, Spilka said, and build a more educated workforce to fill jobs in the state's innovation, health care and scientific industries.

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"It is clear that we have, right here in this commonwealth, the people and the institutions we need to ensure the workforce of our future and to tackle the challenges that we face, if only we see this opportunity for what it is and we are brave enough to seize it," she said.

Because the cost of providing community college education will remain, the focus will shift to how the Senate plans to pay for its proposal and how much it will cost. One possibility: tapping into a new funding stream following voter approval in November of a 4% surtax on the state's wealthiest residents to go toward public education and transportation investments.

Opponents of the surtax, called the Fair Share Amendment by supporters, argued throughout the election cycle this fall that there's no guarantee the additional tax revenue will go toward education and transportation because it is subject to legislative appropriation.

But Spilka promised to use the funds as intended.

"As long as I'm Senate President, every last Fair Share dollar will go to new investments in transportation and education," Spilka said.

Contributors to this story include State House News Service reporters Chris Lisinski and Sam Drysdale and Daily News Editor Dan O'Brien.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Senate President Spilka urges ma to make community college free