HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 904        FILED ON: 1/13/2009

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 367

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act providing for members of the southeastern regional school district to reallocate the sum of their local contributions to the district by a majority vote of boards of selectmen and a municipal council..

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

SECTION 1.  Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, the towns of East Bridgewater, Easton, Foxboro, Mansfield, Norton, Sharon, Stoughton, and West Bridgewater and the city of Brockton, all joined together as charter member communities of the Southeastern Regional School District, may elect to reallocate the sum of their required local contributions to the district in accordance with the regional agreement; provided however, that the total sum of their regional contributions shall not be decreased. Election shall be by approval of a majority of the members. Approval of each member shall be given by a majority vote of the board of selectmen at a regularly scheduled meeting in the case of towns and by a majority vote of the council in the case of the city of Brockton. For the first year after enactment of this legislation, such approval must be voted no later than three weeks after notification of the enactment. Thereafter, members may vote for this change in the method of such allocation by December 31 of the year preceding the fiscal year for which a change in the assessment allocation is desired. The commissioner of education shall be notified of the enactment of this legislation.

SECTION 2. Once a vote to revert to the original agreement has been made as herein provided for, the required local contributions shall be thereafter calculated in accordance with the regional agreement for each successive year unless two thirds of the district members vote for a change in the method of such allocation by December 31 of the year preceding the fiscal year for which a change in the assessment allocation is desired. Approval of each member in this instance shall be given by a majority vote of the board of selectmen at a regularly scheduled meeting in the case of the towns and by a majority vote of the council in the case of the city of Brockton.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon its passage.