Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H726 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1108 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 726
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Chynah Tyler
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act to establish a community schools special legislative commission.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Chynah Tyler7th Suffolk1/14/2025 1 of 4
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1108 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 726
18	18	By Representative Tyler of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 726) of Chynah
19	19	Tyler for an investigation by a special commission (including members of the General Court) to
20	20	investigate community schools and to make recommendations regarding the adoption of
21	21	community schools. Education.
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
25	25	(2025-2026)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act to establish a community schools special legislative commission.
28	28	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
29	29	of the same, as follows:
30	30	1 SECTION XX
31	31	2 (a) As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires
32	32	3otherwise, have the following meanings:
33	33	4 (i) “Community School”, a public school that utilizes a community school coordinator to
34	34	5facilitate the establishment of a set of strategic partnerships between the school and other
35	35	6community resources that leverage shared accountability, collaborative leadership, capacity
36	36	7building, and family and community engagement, to promote student achievement, and the well-
37	37	8being of students, families, educators, and neighborhood residents through a variety of engaging
38	38	9practices including the provision of wraparound services.
39	39	10 (ii) “Community Schools strategy”, a strategy that transforms a school into a community
40	40	11school where educators, local community members, families, and students work together to 2 of 4
41	41	12establish shared vision and goals to strengthen conditions for student learning and healthy
42	42	13development, including but not limited to the organization of in- and out-of-school resources,
43	43	14supports, and student opportunities.
44	44	15 (b) There shall be a special legislative commission on community schools, hereinafter
45	45	16referred to as the commission, to investigate community schools and to make recommendations
46	46	17regarding the adoption of community schools across the commonwealth. The special legislative
47	47	18commission shall consist of 15 members: the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on
48	48	19education, or their designee, who shall serve as co-chairs; the secretary of Education or a
49	49	20designee; the secretary of Health and Human services or a designee; 1 representative from the
50	50	21Massachusetts Community Schools Coalition; 1 representative from the American Federation of
51	51	22Teachers Massachusetts; 1 representative from Massachusetts Teachers Association; 1
52	52	23representative from United Way of Massachusetts Bay; and 7 members to be appointed by the
53	53	24Governor: 2 of whom shall be student representatives from existing Massachusetts community
54	54	25schools, 1
55	55	26 of whom shall be a parent representative from an existing Massachusetts community
56	56	27schools, 1
57	57	28 of whom shall be a superintendent from a Massachusetts district employing community
58	58	29school strategies, 1 of whom shall be a principal of a Massachusetts community school, 1 of
59	59	30whom shall be a Massachusetts community school coordinator, and 1 of whom shall be a
60	60	31member who represents a community based organization. In making such appointments, the
61	61	32Governor shall consider rural, urban, and suburban geographic representation across the
62	62	33commission. 3 of 4
63	63	34 (c) The commission shall: (i) analyze systems, structures, and policies that support
64	64	35successful community school implementation models and trends in community school model
65	65	36adoption across different jurisdictions in the Commonwealth and nationwide; (ii) investigate the
66	66	37policies of other such jurisdictions intended to support and incentivize community school model
67	67	38adoption, (iii) provide an assessment of community school adoption, implementation, and
68	68	39outcomes in Massachusetts; (iv) define the essential elements and principles of implementing
69	69	40community school models, including but not limited to as an equity strategy; (v) research the
70	70	41outcomes and evidence associated with community schools model adoption, including but not
71	71	42limited to reductions in school absenteeism; (vi) investigate the policies of other jurisdictions
72	72	43intended to support and incentivize community school adoption; (vii) identify any existing
73	73	44barriers, including but not limited to legal, regulatory, information and training, or funding
74	74	45barriers for Massachusetts schools to successfully adopt and implement community school
75	75	46strategies. The commission shall meet not less than once every two months.
76	76	47 (d) The commission shall develop a report of its findings and include specific
77	77	48recommendations in response to such findings, including any legislative or regulatory changes
78	78	49necessary for the Commonwealth to implement the commission’s recommendations. At a
79	79	50minimum, such report shall include: (i) an overview of the findings of the commission’s work
80	80	51pursuant to subsection (b), including but not limited to policy recommendations relative to
81	81	52codifying definitions relative to community schools; adopting policies and funding strategies to
82	82	53incentivize statewide adoption of community school strategies; and, creating sustainable funding
83	83	54streams in support of local district and school-level adoption and implementation of community
84	84	55school strategies; (ii) recommendations for a statewide community school pilot program
85	85	56including, but not limited to: (1) the number and nature of eligible communities to participate in 4 of 4
86	86	57the pilot program, (2) the resources necessary to support the pilot program, (3) the process by
87	87	58which pilot funding should be awarded, and (4) the data and outcomes reporting requirements
88	88	59and criteria for the evaluation of the pilot program and its participants. The commission shall file
89	89	60its report with the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives, the senate and house
90	90	61committees on ways and means, the joint committee on education, the office of the governor, and
91	91	62the executive office of education not later than February 15, 2026.