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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1863 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 320
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Michael O. Moore
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to local approval for charter schools.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Michael O. MooreSecond WorcesterAdam Scanlon14th Bristol1/24/2023 1 of 2
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1863 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 320
By Mr. Moore, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 320) of Michael O. Moore and
Adam Scanlon for legislation relative to local approval for charter schools. Education.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 371 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act relative to local approval for charter schools.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 89 of chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the definition of “district” the following
3definition:-
4 “Local approval”, an action taken by a locally elected body to authorize local funds being
5allocated for a charter school, which may be approved by the following actions: by the approval
6of an elected school committee for each school district from which the charter school is expected
7to enroll students, by the approval of voters at a town meeting of each of the towns from which
8the charter school is expected to enroll students, or in the case of a city without an elected school
9committee, by a vote of the city council, by whatever title it may be known, and the Mayor. 2 of 2
10 SECTION 2. Said section 89 of said chapter 71, as so appearing, is hereby further
11amended by adding the following paragraph:-
12 Notwithstanding the foregoing, only commonwealth charter school applications that have
13received the local approval of every town or school district expected to enroll students shall be
14funded pursuant to the provisions of the section. Approval of an application by the board without
15local approval shall be funded by the board, exclusive of Chapter 70 or other local funds.
16Applications that have received the aforesaid local approval for a commonwealth charter school
17shall comply with the provisions for such submission pursuant to the applicable provisions of the
18section.
19 SECTION 3. This act shall apply only to commonwealth charter school applications
20submitted after the date upon which the act becomes effective.