Bill > S314

This bill provides comprehensive support for rural and small school districts in Massachusetts through several key provisions. It establishes two new funds: the Rural Schools Aid Fund, which annually transfers $60 million to support school districts with low student density and lower per capita income, and the Declining Enrollment Fund, which provides financial assistance to districts experiencing significant student population decreases. The bill creates an Office of Shared Services within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to help districts form regional collaborations and superintendent unions, and offers grants to support regionalization efforts. Additionally, the bill increases grant percentages for regional school facility projects to at least 90%, provides transitional aid for new regional school districts, and establishes a special education financing legislative commission to review and recommend improvements to the current special education funding system. The bill also includes provisions to support special education teacher development, such as creating programs to help paraprofessionals become licensed special education teachers and developing alternative licensure assessments. Furthermore, it addresses transportation challenges by creating a Non-Resident Pupil Transportation Fund and mandating reimbursement for extraordinary transportation costs in rural school districts. The overall goal is to provide more sustainable and equitable educational resources and funding for smaller, rural school districts in Massachusetts.

Education

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S314