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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1793 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 569
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Kimberly N. Ferguson
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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 regarding school transportation funding.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Kimberly N. Ferguson1st Worcester1/15/2025Natalie M. Blais1st Franklin1/15/2025David K. Muradian, Jr.9th Worcester1/16/2025Steven J. Ouellette8th Bristol1/15/2025Donald R. Berthiaume, Jr.5th Worcester2/2/2025David F. DeCoste5th Plymouth1/22/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1793 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 569
By Representative Ferguson of Holden, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 569) of
Kimberly N. Ferguson and others relative to school transportation funding. Education.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act regarding school transportation funding.
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. Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
2section 7C the following 2 sections:-
3 Section 7D. (a) To provide for the reimbursement of the part of the cost of transportation
4not reimbursable under section 7A, the state treasurer shall annually, on or before November
5twentieth, pay to a rural school district the sums required for full reimbursement of extraordinary
6transportation costs incurred directly by a rural school district as a result of the transportation
7between school and home of any pupil.
8 (b) Rural school districts may establish a Rural School Transportation Reimbursement
9Account. Reimbursements made by the commonwealth pursuant to this section may be deposited
10into the account.
11 (c) Regional school districts that receive reimbursement pursuant to section 16C shall not
12be eligible for school transportation reimbursement pursuant to this section. 2 of 2
13 Section 7E. (a) There is hereby established and set upon the books of the commonwealth
14a separate fund known as the Non-Resident Pupil Transportation Fund. The fund shall be
15credited with: (i) appropriations or other money authorized or transferred by the general court
16and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (ii) funds from public and private sources,
17including, but not limited to gifts, grants and donations; and (iii) any interest earned on such
18money. Amounts credited shall not be subject to appropriation and shall be expended by the
19department of elementary and secondary education to reimburse schools for the costs associated
20with the transportation of pupils who attend schools in school districts that are not located within
21the municipality that the pupil resides in to be administered by the department of elementary and
22secondary education in accordance with this section.
23 (b) A qualified school district eligible for funding shall include any school district that
24enrolls pupils in its schools who reside outside of the municipality where the school is located.
25 (c) Annually, not later than December first, the department of elementary and secondary
26education shall submit a report to the house and senate committees on ways and means detailing
27the calculation and planned distribution of funds to school districts; provided, that, funds
28distributed from this section shall not be considered chapter 70 aid for the calculation of the
29minimum required local contribution for the upcoming fiscal year.
30 (d) Every 5 years, the department of elementary and secondary education shall determine
31the adequacy of funding for the purposes of this section and recommend to the general court any
32necessary adjustment.