HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3745        FILED ON: 1/15/2009

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 414

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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Resolve A Resolve establishing a commission to examine school district capacity and efficient delivery of educational services..

Resolved, SECTION 1.  The Commonwealth and school districts are under increasingly difficult financial constraints while federal and state governments impose rigid demands on school districts for student achievement.   State and local leaders must investigate ways to more efficiently deliver services while maintaining or increasing service quality.

SECTION 2. There shall be a commission to examine school district capacity and efficient delivery of educational services.   The commission shall consist of: the secretary of education, or his designee, who shall serve as chair; the commissioner of the department of elementary and secondary education, or his designee; the executive director of  the Massachusetts school building authority, or his designee; 1 member appointed by the speaker of the house; 1 member appointed by the senate president; 1 member appointed by the minority leader of the house; 1 member appointed by the minority leader of the senate ; 6 members to be appointed by the secretary of education, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, 1 of whom shall be a representative of either the Massachusetts Teachers Association or the American Federal of Teachers of Massachusetts, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, and 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Organization of Educational Collaboratives.

SECTION 3.  The commission shall examine and make recommendations including, but not limited to, the following areas: (1) the optimal school district size; (2) barriers in efficient delivery of educational services; (3) incentives for school districts to regionalize; (4) shared services among neighboring districts; (5) correlations between district size and school district capacity; (6) statutory requirements for school district formation; (7) the optimal number of school districts in the Commonwealth; (8)transitional costs associated with school district regionalization; and (9) increased use of educational collaboratives for shared services among school districts.

SECTION 4.  The commission shall conduct its first meeting not less than 60 days after the effective date of this act.  The commission shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations together with legislation, if any, to the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate who shall forward the same to the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on education and the chairs of the house and senate committees on ways and means not later than 200 days after the effective date of this act.