HOLYOKE – In the coming weeks, the City Council will adjust the Holyoke Public School’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget after an influx of state education dollars — good news in the era of tight or dwindling budgets.

Anthony Soto, the director of Finance and Operations for the Holyoke Public Schools, informed the Finance Committee Aug. 27 that the district saw a $1,788,325 influx of Chapter 70 or state education funding for FY 2020.

The increase occurred after the City Council passed the current fiscal year budget in July.

Soto presented the school budget in June that included figures from the House’s budget at the time. “There’s been a lot of rallying around Chapter 70 funding reform,” he said.

In late-July, Soto received final budget numbers from the Baker-Polito Administration. The governor then sent the budget to the legislature for approval, which included the funding gains.

Soto asked the Finance Committee to adjust the school district’s appropriation to reflect the Commonwealth’s updated budget. He noted a $36,716 line-item is a reduction in Charter School Sending Tuition expenses.

The council must draft orders that reflect the adjustments and funding increase. Technical difficulties tied to new financial software prevented the council from doing so.

Soto said the school budget allows for changes to Net School Spending for items like Charter School tuition and $331,822 in School Choice Sending Tuition.

The School Choice dollars wind up in districts Holyoke students attend. The $331,822 is the increase in School Choice spending, Soto said. However, he welcomed the $1.7 million addition.

Overall, the Holyoke Public Schools will transfer over $2.2 million for School Choice programs and over $12.5 million in Charter School spending.

Councilor Joseph McGiverin, the committee chair, said the City Council must vote on the adjustments and additional Chapter 70 funds, a formality.

On Tuesday, McGiverin said the School Choice and charter school funding assist Holyoke students. “The monies do come to us even though the monies are filtered to charter schools and other districts that students are choosing,” McGiverin said.

He added that budget adjustments are typically negative, but the $1.7 million falls in the positive category.