Bill > S300

This bill aims to improve education for students with special needs. It has several key provisions: 1. The Commonwealth will fully fund the transportation costs for special education students attending out-of-district programs, as long as the private transporter accepts the rates set by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). This funding will be in addition to the Chapter 70 education funding and will not be included in the calculation of base aid. 2. The foundation funding formula will be adjusted to increase the average tuition to $35,000 and adjust the special education enrollment to 4% for in-district students and 5% for vocational students. 3. A special commission is established to investigate and study the issue of residency for transient students and their impact on education funding and programming. The commission will make recommendations on defining residency in this context. 4. The DESE is directed to standardize the qualifications of special education dispute arbitrators. Overall, this bill seeks to address the financial and programmatic challenges faced by school districts in providing special education services, particularly for students placed in out-of-district programs.

Education

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/190/S300