BOSTON, Mass. (WWLP)--On election day, Massachusetts voters overwhelming voted to get rid of MCAS standardized testing as a high school graduation requirement, tasking the state with creating a new standard. With almost all votes counted, this ballot measure passed with a 59% approval rating. Yes voters say coursework and teacher recommendations can replace the high-stakes test in finding out if students are ready to graduate. State leaders react to MCAS ballot question being passed But top law makers from the governor to the Secretary of the department of education were against this ballot measure. Governor Healey weighed in on potential MCAS changes in a Wednesday news conference, saying that it is a priority to keep Massachusetts' number 1 ranking in education. "It's important to our economy, our competitiveness, and most of all, it's important to our young people, who we want to make sure are afforded the best, best education possible," said Healey. The governor also expressed a concern that is shared by many opponents to the ballot question about uniform education standards. "My position is we shouldn't have different expectations for students depending on which zip code they're in. There should be uniformity and our expectations and they should be high," said Healey. One potential path forward is to require MassCore, a set of general education courses for high school students, that would create a new uniform standard to receive a diploma. Currently, 83% of Massachusetts high schoolers complete MassCore curriculum, but there are some concerns about how much it could cost to implement statewide. Local News Headlines Chicopee celebrates Puerto Rican Heritage Month with flag-raising Food banks seeking donations ahead of Thanksgiving 1978 West Springfield cold case: Who is Timothy Scott Joley Lawmakers looking to pass homelessness youth bill WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.