SENATE, No. 304

By Mr. Buoniconti, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 304) of Stephen J. Buoniconti for legislation relative to school attendance. Education.
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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Seal of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

AN ACT relative to school attendance

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. Section 1B of Chapter 69 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2004 official edition, is hereby amended by striking out the 20th paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following:-

“The board shall establish the permissible and mandatory ages of school attendance; provided, that such mandatory and maximum age shall be the age of 18, or until graduation from high school or attainment of equivalent thereof, whichever shall occur first.”

SECTION 2. Section 1 of Chapter 76 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2004 official edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 1, after the word “the” everything until the word “shall” in line 13 and inserting in place thereof the following words: -  “ages of 6 and 18.” 

SECTION 3. There shall be a Commission established for the purpose of investigating and reporting on current efforts to reduce student drop out rates in the Commonwealth, and to recommend additional programs or policies to reduce the drop out rate in the Commonwealth.  The Commission shall explore plans, programs, initiatives, curricula, policies, including those in other states, or any other source of information, which is relevant to reducing student drop out rates in the Commonwealth.  The Commission will hold a minimum of four public hearings in diverse locations which will accurately represent the scope and complexity of the school drop out problem, and will take testimony from the public. 

            The Commission shall consist of 15 members consisting of:  The House and Senate Chairs of the Joint Committee on Education, or their designee; the House and Senate Chairs of the Joint Committee on Children and Families, or their designee; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, or his designee; the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, or his designee; the President of the Senate, or his designee; the Senate Minority Leader, or his designee; three persons appointed by the Governor, one of whom shall be chosen from a list of two persons nominated by the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents and two persons nominated by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees; the Commissioner of Education, or his designee; the Chief Justice of the Juvenile Court, or her designee; the Commissioner of the Department of Social Services, or his designee; and one member appointed by the Legislative Children’s Caucus.  There shall be House and Senate co-chairs appointed by the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate respectively.