BOSTON -- Leaders of the Massachusetts Senate today released a $32.275 billion state budget for the next fiscal year that includes a record amount of general education aid and provisions to improve community colleges. The budget represents a 3.7 percent increase from projected spending for this fiscal year.

Sen. Stephen M. Brewer, chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said the budget has $4.17 billion in Chapter 70 general education aid, or $180 million higher than the current fiscal year. Within that increase, $18.4 million is to ensure that all school districts receive at least $40 per pupil more than this year and another $16.8 million is targeted to the least wealthy districts.

"It's a very, very strong local aid budget," Brewer said in an interview in his Statehouse office today.

The full Senate Ways and Means committee was expected to approve the budget today and the full Senate would begin debate on May 23.