Session Laws

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

Notwithstanding the provisions of section fifty-three of chapter forty-four of the General Laws, or any other general or special law to the contrary, the city of Worcester is hereby authorized to establish a special account to be known as the Performance Based Awards Program Fund into which account shall be deposited monies appropriated therefor. Donations from private sources also may be received and placed in said account, as well as monies from other sources authorized by law. The account shall be maintained by the city treasurer of said city in a banking institution located in said city. Expenditures from said account shall be made by the school committee of the city of Worcester solely to grant awards to participating schools pursuant to the Performance Based Awards Program.

The performance based awards program shall be established for the special purpose of rewarding particular schools within the Worcester public school system which demonstrate successful performance based outcomes. Expenditures made under the provisions of the Performance Based Award Program shall be deemed to be for a school purpose. On the basis of categories and criteria to be established by a categories and criteria committee consisting of designees of the school committee and the Education Association of Worcester, a selection committee shall determine which public school buildings shall be granted awards pursuant to said program and the amount to be awarded. The superintendent of schools shall, annually, file with the city council and school committee a written report relative to said program. Said account shall be maintained in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

Any unreserved balance remaining in said account at the close of a fiscal year shall be kept in said account and used for the purposes provided for in this act; provided, however, that any unreserved balance remaining in said account after said program is discontinued shall revert to the general fund of the school committee.