Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Springfield Public Schools (SPS) Superintendent Dr. Sonia Dinnall respond to notification sent by the federal government to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that they plan to cut $106 million in K-12 education grant funding for school infrastructure improvement projects for the State, including $47 million that has been committed to various Springfield projects.
Mayor Sarno states, “My office was just made aware of this recent federal notification to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts this morning. To say I am deeply disappointed is an understatement. The city of Springfield strategically utilized our ESSER funds into our schools – these are not frivolous projects, but one-time capital improvement projects that will greatly benefit our students and faculty. Superintendent Dr. Sonia Dinnall, Executive Director of Parks, Buildings and Recreational Management Tom Ashe, and their respective teams and predecessors (Dan Warwick and Patrick Sullivan) have done an excellent job improving our schools air quality through HVAC installations and outdoor learning spaces for our students. Many of these projects have already been completed or are close to being done.
I am proud that under my administration nearly $1 billion has been invested into building new schools, which replaced old schools that were built in the 1890’s, and the renovation of existing schools, the most in the State.
The decision to cut off money already promised to our school district to benefit our students is wrong. Superintendent Dinnall and I will work with Governor Maura Healey and her Administration, and Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell to explore all of our options as we continue to fight for the residents and students of our Springfield. These continued enhanced public health and safety improvements are coming off the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic in order to get students and staff back into our classrooms.”
SPS Superintendent Dr. Dinnall said, “While we are deeply disappointed by the potential reduction in federal funding, we will continue working with the state Department of Early and Secondary Education (DESE) to secure the funds as originally agreed upon by all parties - a commitment reaffirmed by the federal government as recently as February 2025, when they stated that Massachusetts had until March 2026 to spend the funds.
We want to assure our community that we strategically and intentionally utilized ESSER funds for one-time capital improvement projects that have already been completed or are very close to completion. These investments included initiatives such as outdoor classrooms and HVAC systems, ensuring that the funds were used in a way that would provide long-term benefits without creating financial dependencies.
From the start, we were keenly aware that this funding was temporary, and we made deliberate choices to avoid using it for ongoing expenses that would require sustained financial support. As a result, this reduction will not impact the delivery of education services to our students or employment status for staff. Springfield Public Schools remains committed to delivering high-quality education and will continue to do so through careful planning and responsible stewardship of our resources.”