Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H4425 Compare Versions

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1	1	HOUSE . . . . . . . . No. 4425
2	2	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
3	3	________________________________________
4	4	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, February 26, 2024.
5	5	The committee on Education, to whom was referred the petition
6	6	(accompanied by bill, House, No. 3567) of Natalie M. Blais and others
7	7	relative to rural schools, reports recommending that the accompanying bill
8	8	(House, No. 4425) ought to pass.
9	9	For the committee,
10	10	DENISE C. GARLICK. 1 of 6
11	11	FILED ON: 2/7/2024
12	12	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 4425
13	13	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
14	14	_______________
15	15	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
16	16	(2023-2024)
17	17	_______________
18	18	An Act to provide a sustainable future for rural schools.
19	19	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
20	20	of the same, as follows:
21	21	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 15 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following
22	22	2section:-
23	23	3 Section 67. (a) There shall be within the department an office of shared services, which
24	24	4shall be under the supervision and management of the director of shared services. The director
25	25	5shall be appointed by the commissioner.
26	26	6 (b) The office of shared services shall oversee the formation of regional school districts
27	27	7and superintendent unions in the commonwealth. The director of shared services shall assist
28	28	8school districts that are considering forming or are in the process of forming regional school
29	29	9districts and superintendent unions with the research, development and execution of shared
30	30	10services projects and shared services agreements.
31	31	11 (c) Based on the review and analysis received from the center for health information and
32	32	12analysis pursuant to section 25 of chapter 12C of the General Laws, the office of shared services
33	33	13shall provide a report and make recommendations on strategies to improve coverage and reduce 2 of 6
34	34	14costs including, but not limited to, recommendations related to membership in purchasing
35	35	15groups, combining plan design changes with health cost reimbursement arrangements and any
36	36	16other cost-reducing strategies that will not increase insurance costs for employees. The report
37	37	17shall be delivered to the clerks of the house of representatives and senate and the joint committee
38	38	18on education, the Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools and posted publicly on the
39	39	19center’s website on or before December 31, 2025.
40	40	20 SECTION 2. Chapter 12C of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the
41	41	21following section:-
42	42	22 Section 25. (a) For the purposes of this section “rural school district” shall mean a school
43	43	23district with both of the following: (i) a student density of not more than 35 students per square
44	44	24mile and (ii) a per capita income of less than the average annual estimated, state-wide per capita
45	45	25income.
46	46	26 (b) The center shall perform a review and analysis of the range of health insurance plans
47	47	27that are in use across rural school districts in the commonwealth and shall provide the review and
48	48	28analysis to the office of shared services pursuant to section 67 of chapter 15 of the General Laws.
49	49	29 SECTION 3. Section 19 of chapter 15A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
50	50	30Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the figure “71”, in line 83, the following
51	51	31words:- ; provided, however that paraprofessionals seeking to obtain licensure as special
52	52	32educators shall have priority for such grants.
53	53	33 SECTION 4. Section 2 of chapter 70 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
54	54	34amended by inserting after the definition “Required net school spending” the following
55	55	35definition:- 3 of 6
56	56	36 “Rural school district”, a school district with both of the following: (i) a student density
57	57	37of not more than 35 students per square mile and (ii) a per capita income of less than the average
58	58	38annual estimated, state-wide per capita income.
59	59	39 SECTION 5. Said chapter 70B of the General Laws is hereby further amended by adding
60	60	40the following section:-
61	61	41 Section 22. Upon the closure of a school as a result of a school district regionalization
62	62	42effort, the authority, in collaboration with the executive office of housing and livable
63	63	43communities and the executive office of economic development shall offer assistance to the
64	64	44municipality wherein the school is located for the development of a plan for demolition or use of
65	65	45the school building for other purposes, including any technical assistance for school building
66	66	46reuse and the retrofitting of school buildings for other purposes.
67	67	47 SECTION 6. Section 16D of said chapter 71, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
68	68	48striking out subsection (g) and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:-
69	69	49 (g) A regional school district shall receive state aid for the transitional costs associated
70	70	50with the establishment of the regional school district. A regional school district shall be entitled
71	71	51to aid under this subsection for the first 3 years of its operation. The state treasurer shall, upon
72	72	52certification by the commissioner, annually, on or before November 20, pay to each regional
73	73	53school district in its first 3 years of operation $200 per pupil enrolled by the regional school
74	74	54district.
75	75	55 SECTION 7. Said chapter 71 is hereby further amended by inserting after section 16I the
76	76	56following section:- 4 of 6
77	77	57 Section 16J. (a) There is hereby established and set upon the books of the commonwealth
78	78	58a separate fund known as the School District Regionalization Grant Fund. The fund shall be
79	79	59credited with: (i) appropriations or other money authorized or transferred by the general court
80	80	60and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (ii) funds from public and private sources,
81	81	61including, but not limited to gifts, grants and donations; and (iii) any interest earned on such
82	82	62money. Amounts credited shall not be subject to appropriation and shall be expended by the
83	83	63department to fund a grant program for the study, planning and implementation of school district
84	84	64regionalization efforts to be administered by the department in accordance with this section; and
85	85	65provided further, that grant funds awarded pursuant to this section shall be distributed evenly
86	86	66over a 3 year period.
87	87	67 (b) A qualified school eligible for funding are towns and regional school districts,
88	88	68excluding vocational schools, independent agricultural, technical schools and charter schools;
89	89	69provided, that a school district shall be eligible for a school district regionalization grant if it is
90	90	70considering forming, is in the process of forming or has formed within the past 5 years a regional
91	91	71school district or regionalizing services; provided, that, that school district regionalization grants
92	92	72shall be allocated equitably in the following priority order: (i) school districts with significant
93	93	73enrollment decline; (ii) school districts where existing school space is underutilized; and (iii)
94	94	74school districts where the regionalization proposal will produce significant expansion of
95	95	75available academic resources and supports as a result of cost savings.
96	96	76 (c) Annually, not later than February 1, any district receiving funds under this item shall
97	97	77submit a report to the department outlining the progress the district has made in studying,
98	98	78planning or implementing regionalization or regionalization services. 5 of 6
99	99	79 (d) Annually, not later than December 1, the department shall submit a report to the
100	100	80house and senate committees on ways and means and the joint committee on education detailing
101	101	81the calculation and planned distribution of funds to school districts; provided, that, funds
102	102	82distributed from this section shall not be considered chapter 70 aid for the calculation of the
103	103	83minimum required local contribution for the upcoming fiscal year.
104	104	84 (e) Every 5 years, the department shall determine the adequacy of funding for the
105	105	85purposes of this section and recommend to the general court any necessary adjustment.
106	106	86 (f) A grant awarded to a school district pursuant to this section shall not exceed
107	107	87$1,500,000 over a 3 year period.
108	108	88 SECTION 8. Said chapter 71B of the General Laws is hereby further amended by adding
109	109	89the following section:-
110	110	90 Section 17. (a) There shall be within the department a program to support the
111	111	91development of specialized teachers with targeted funding for local educator preparation
112	112	92programs for special education.
113	113	93 (b) The department shall facilitate the funding and implementation of the program so that
114	114	94school districts can coordinate with educational collaboratives and other providers to build “grow
115	115	95your own” programs and provide paid time off, or childcare stipends, to paraprofessionals
116	116	96studying to become licensed special education teachers.
117	117	97 (c) The program shall provide similar support to teachers currently licensed in other
118	118	98subjects to become special education teachers. 6 of 6
119	119	99 SECTION 9. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the
120	120	100department of elementary and secondary education shall conduct a review of special education
121	121	101regulations of the department as they pertain to the needs of rural school districts.
122	122	102 (b) The department shall request public comment and discussions with special education
123	123	103advocates, educators, school administrators, parents, and experts to explore reform of regulations
124	124	104under 603 CMR 28.00.
125	125	105 (c) The department shall publish a web page that serves as a one-stop resource to allow
126	126	106the public to obtain information and provide comments on individual rules and guidelines under
127	127	107review as well as the department’s regulatory review program generally.