By Mr. Walsh of Boston, petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 589) of Martin J. Walsh relative to the notification of parents of children enrolled in non-public elementary and secondary schools or charter schools if it is the intention of the administration of the schools to cease operation or to discontinue any grade year.  Education.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

Martin J. Walsh

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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An Act relative to non public and 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:

SECTION 1. Chapter 76 of the General Laws as most recently appearing in the 2000 Official Edition is hereby amended by inserting after Section 2A as so appearing a new section as follows:

                2B.          Duties of Approved Non-Public and Charter Schools to Notify Parents of Discontinuation of School, Penalty.

                                Every approved non-public elementary and secondary school or charter school shall notify the parents of any children enrolled in the school in writing if it is the intention of the administration of the school to cease operation or to discontinue any grade year.  The notice required by this section shall be given at least one hundred days prior to the end of the then current school year, or before the first day of March whichever comes earlier.  Failure to provide such notice as required by this section shall make the school liable to the parents for damages in a civil action and in appropriate cases as the trial court may determine said damages may be tripled.

                These notice provisions shall not apply to institutions where the discontinuation of the school is caused by fire, or natural disaster.