The ballot initiative to toss out the MCAS graduation requirement reached 135,000 signatures ahead of the deadline, the Massachusetts Teachers Association and allies announced Wednesday — the most signatures collected by any initiative this election cycle.

“The people are letting us know that all students deserve an education that is well-rounded and focused on students – not a one-time test score,” MTA Vice President Deb McCarthy said.

The MCAS petition was one of several ballot initiatives to meet the Wednesday deadline to collect 75,000 signatures and move forward to being placed on the November 2024 general election ballot.

Educators, parents and advocates behind the MCAS initiative met on the steps of the State House on Wednesday morning to announce the signature count and walk the last 20,000 signatures over to Secretary of State Bill Galvin’s office.

The question would end the use of the test as a graduation requirement, not nix the test altogether. The union announced they’d cleared the 75,000 signature requirement in early November, among the first initiatives to do so.

Massachusetts is one of nine remaining states using standardized testing as a graduation requirement. Of the remaining nine, Florida, New Jersey and New York have also introduced recent measures to do away with the practice.

Advocates for the initiative have argued the testing requirement unfairly bars students from graduating, disproportionally minority, lower income, special education and other marginalized students. Others argue it restricts teachers to teaching to the test.

“Analysis showed that MCAS does not improve graduation rates,” said Lisa Guisbond, Executive Director of Citizens for Public Schools, speaking to the group’s report on the effect of MCAS. “In fact, when the requirement was pause during the pandemic graduation rates rose especially for English learners, students with disabilities and students from low income families.

Democrats for Education Reform Massachusetts Director Mary Tamer, a leading opponent of the ballot initiative, released a statement following the announcement pushing back and reiterating concerns about the effect on student achievement and equity across school districts.

“Abandoning the MCAS graduation requirement would eliminate a single statewide standard based on consistent, objective measurements across school districts, significantly reducing the value of a high school diploma,” Tamer wrote.

Educators and parents Wednesday expressed confidence in the initiative as it moves closer to the ballot, especially in light of the enthusiasm by residents who signed on.

“Our families see the impact this test has on their students,” said Sommerville teacher Dayshawn Simmons. “Educators see the impact this test has on our students. This will allow us to do the thing that we want to do most, which is just teach our kids.”