Special education paraprofessional Susan Soares spent much of her free time in fall 2022 standing at the busiest intersection of her hometown of Arlington, Mass., with a sign that said, “YES on 1!” She was there to talk to passersby about a ballot measure that would make the state’s tax system fairer and support public schools and transportation.
Soares was one of thousands of Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) members who worked with the Raise Up Massachusetts coalition to explain the Fair Share Amendment.
Their goal was to educate voters on two points: First, that the measure would affect only the top 0.5 percent of Massachusetts earners, adding a 4 percent tax on income after the first $1 million. Second, all of that revenue would go to public education—pre-K through higher ed—and public transportation.
“I explained that the money would help their district get what their students really need,” Soares says. “Do they need reading support? Whatever it is, I want that for them, and this measure would help.”
As time would tell, the measure would do all that and more.
Voters passed the measure in November 2022, amending the state’s constitution—which had required a flat 5 percent tax on all earners since 1915.
The effort was worth it. As MTA and allies predicted, the measure has brought in over $2 billion!
MTA advocated for one of the first major investments made with the funds: universal school meals, which passed the state legislature with bipartisan support in 2023.
“We’re proud to be a state that has universal school meals,” says MTA President Max Page. “If you’re talking about improving schools, you simply can’t do it if kids are hungry.”
Other equity-boosting investments include tuition-free community college and tuition- and fee-free attendance at public universities for students with family incomes under $75,000.
Fair Share funds have also been used for much-needed school construction projects and major upgrades to public transportation. “[These] matter to our students and families, too,” Page says.
The graphic below shows how a “millionaire’s tax” can transform education budgets.
