Bill > S358

This bill aims to improve vocational-technical education in Massachusetts through several key provisions. It establishes a competitive $300 million grant program administered by the Executive Office of Education to provide capital and equipment funding for expanding high-quality Chapter 74 career technical education programs in high-demand fields. The grant program prioritizes schools in Gateway Cities, schools with existing programs that have waitlists, and schools with strong connections to regional employers, with individual grants capped at $25 million. The bill also increases reimbursement rates for regional vocational-technical and agricultural high school construction projects, adding 20 percentage points to bring reimbursement rates to between 75-90% of eligible costs, with additional points for programs aligned with Regional Labor Market Blueprints. Furthermore, the bill requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop policies to promote vocational-technical education, including mandating that middle schools provide equitable access to information about these programs, facilitate school tours, and share student contact information with vocational schools. The legislation also amends existing laws to allow cities and towns to be members of multiple school districts and offer vocational programs in municipal high schools under certain conditions, while ensuring collaboration between regional vocational and other school districts to avoid program duplication and meet local labor market needs.

Education

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S358