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An Act relative to studying the impact of military reservation students in the calculation of foundation budgets and state aid. |
Be it enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the
same, as follows:
Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, in order to improve public education throughout the commonwealth, the Department of Education is hereby directed to convene a task force in order to conduct a study on the impact of Military Reservation student enrollment on foundation budgets and Chapter 70 Aid calculations for the school districts of the Commonwealth. Said task force shall be chaired by the Commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education or his designee. Members of said task force shall include, the Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means or his designee, the Chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means or his designee, the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Education or his designee, the House Chair of the Joint Committee on Education or his designee, and one representative from each of the following organizations: the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, and the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. The study shall include, but not be limited to, the impact of military student enrollment on the receiving district’s foundation budget and Chapter 70 aid, evaluation of federal impact aid for said student populations and the feasibility of inclusion of military student enrollment in the Chapter 70 aid and foundation enrollment calculations for affected receiving districts. The task force shall report the results of said study and any legislative recommendations to the House and Senate Committees on Ways and Means, the Joint Committee on Education, and the Secretary of Education no later than 1 year from the effective date of this act.