Bill > S274

This bill aims to improve access, opportunity, and capacity in Massachusetts vocational-technical education. Key provisions include: 1. Establishing a new capital infrastructure and investment tool within the Massachusetts School Building Authority to provide funding for vocational-technical education programs and regional vocational-technical schools, including for infrastructure improvements, equipment purchases, and addressing workforce demands. 2. Increasing reimbursement rates for regional vocational-technical high school and agricultural high school construction projects to 75-90% of eligible costs, with additional points for projects aligned with regional labor market priorities. 3. Authorizing local appropriating authorities to assess taxes in excess of otherwise allowed limits to pay for regional vocational-technical high school debt service charges. 4. Creating an Office of Vocational-Technical Education within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop and implement policies, regulations, and initiatives to promote and expand vocational-technical education programs. 5. Providing expansion grants to regional and county vocational and agricultural schools with significant enrollment increases. 6. Authorizing the issuance of $3 billion in Commonwealth bonds to fund the capital investments outlined in the bill.

Education

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S274