Mass. Legislators Seek To Restore Desegregation Funding

By Robert C. Johnston

It's not yet a done deal, but Massachusetts lawmakers are trying to restore the $13.2 million in desegregation funds that were cut from the state budget just weeks before the school year began.

Boston and 21 other mostly urban school districts had anticipated receiving the aid, which has come to them in the past through a 26-year-old program to help pay for desegregation efforts and to bolster educational opportunities for low-income and minority students.

But Gov. Paul Cellucci vetoed the aid this summer, forcing districts to make last-minute budget adjustments that included cutting positions...