Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S409 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2060 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 409
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Paul W. Mark
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 :Paul W. MarkBerkshire, Hampden, Franklin and
16	16	Hampshire 1 of 4
17	17	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2060 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
18	18	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 409
19	19	By Mr. Mark, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 409) of Paul W. Mark for legislation
20	20	to establish a community schools special legislative commission to investigate community
21	21	schools and to make recommendations regarding the adoption of community schools across the
22	22	commonwealth. Education.
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
26	26	(2025-2026)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act to establish a community schools special legislative commission.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 SECTION 1. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context
32	32	2clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:
33	33	3 (i) “Community School”, a public school that utilizes a community school coordinator to
34	34	4facilitate the establishment of a set of strategic partnerships between the school and other
35	35	5community resources that leverage shared accountability, collaborative leadership, capacity
36	36	6building, and family and community engagement, to promote student achievement, and the well-
37	37	7being of students, families, educators, and neighborhood residents through a variety of engaging
38	38	8practices including the provision of wraparound services.
39	39	9 (ii) “Community Schools strategy”, a strategy that transforms a school into a community
40	40	10school where educators, local community members, families, and students work together to
41	41	11establish shared vision and goals to strengthen conditions for student learning and healthy 2 of 4
42	42	12development, including but not limited to the organization of in- and out-of-school resources,
43	43	13supports, and student opportunities.
44	44	14 (b) There shall be a special legislative commission on community schools, hereinafter
45	45	15referred to as the commission, to investigate community schools and to make recommendations
46	46	16regarding the adoption of community schools across the commonwealth. The special legislative
47	47	17commission shall consist of 15 members: the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on
48	48	18education, or their designee, who shall serve as co-chairs; the secretary of Education or a
49	49	19designee; the secretary of Health and Human services or a designee; 1 representative from the
50	50	20Massachusetts Community Schools Coalition; 1 representative from the American Federation of
51	51	21Teachers Massachusetts; 1 representative from Massachusetts Teachers Association; 1
52	52	22representative from United Way of Massachusetts Bay; and 7 members to be appointed by the
53	53	23Governor: 2 of whom shall be student representatives from existing Massachusetts community
54	54	24schools, 1 of whom shall be a parent representative from an existing Massachusetts community
55	55	25schools, 1 of whom shall be a superintendent from a Massachusetts district employing
56	56	26community school strategies, 1 of whom shall be a principal of a Massachusetts community
57	57	27school, 1 of whom shall be a Massachusetts community school coordinator, and 1 of whom shall
58	58	28be a member who represents a community based organization. In making such appointments, the
59	59	29Governor shall consider rural, urban, and suburban geographic representation across the
60	60	30commission.
61	61	31 (c) The commission shall: (i) analyze systems, structures, and policies that support
62	62	32successful community school implementation models and trends in community school model
63	63	33adoption across different jurisdictions in the Commonwealth and nationwide; (ii) investigate the
64	64	34policies of other such jurisdictions intended to support and incentivize community school model 3 of 4
65	65	35adoption, (iii) provide an assessment of community school adoption, implementation, and
66	66	36outcomes in Massachusetts; (iv) define the essential elements and principles of implementing
67	67	37community school models, including but not limited to as an equity strategy; (v) research the
68	68	38outcomes and evidence associated with community schools model adoption, including but not
69	69	39limited to reductions in school absenteeism; (vi) investigate the policies of other jurisdictions
70	70	40intended to support and incentivize community school adoption; (vii) identify any existing
71	71	41barriers, including but not limited to legal, regulatory, information and training, or funding
72	72	42barriers for Massachusetts schools to successfully adopt and implement community school
73	73	43strategies. The commission shall meet not less than once every two months.
74	74	44 (d) The commission shall develop a report of its findings and include specific
75	75	45recommendations in response to such findings, including any legislative or regulatory changes
76	76	46necessary for the Commonwealth to implement the commission’s recommendations. At a
77	77	47minimum, such report shall include: (i) an overview of the findings of the commission’s work
78	78	48pursuant to subsection (b), including but not limited to policy recommendations relative to
79	79	49codifying definitions relative to community schools; adopting policies and funding strategies to
80	80	50incentivize statewide adoption of community school strategies; and, creating sustainable funding
81	81	51streams in support of local district and school-level adoption and implementation of community
82	82	52school strategies; (ii) recommendations for a statewide community school pilot program
83	83	53including, but not limited to: (1) the number and nature of eligible communities to participate in
84	84	54the pilot program, (2) the resources necessary to support the pilot program, (3) the process by
85	85	55which pilot funding should be awarded, and (4) the data and outcomes reporting requirements
86	86	56and criteria for the evaluation of the pilot program and its participants. The commission shall file
87	87	57its report with the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives, the senate and house 4 of 4
88	88	58committees on ways and means, the joint committee on education, the office of the governor, and
89	89	59the executive office of education not later than February 15, 2026.