HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2923        FILED ON: 1/18/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 457

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Alice Hanlon Peisch and Jason M. Lewis

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act reviving the foundation budget review commission.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Alice Hanlon Peisch

14th Norfolk

1/18/2013

Steven M. Walsh

11th Essex

1/31/2013

Benjamin Swan

11th Hampden

2/1/2013

Carlo Basile

1st Suffolk

 

Ann-Margaret Ferrante

5th Essex

 

Louis L. Kafka

8th Norfolk

 

Paul McMurtry

11th Norfolk

 

Sarah K. Peake

4th Barnstable

 

Martin J. Walsh

13th Suffolk

 

Peter V. Kocot

1st Hampshire

 

Lori A. Ehrlich

8th Essex

 

Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr.

12th Hampden

 

James R. Miceli

19th Middlesex

 

William Smitty Pignatelli

4th Berkshire

 

Tackey Chan

2nd Norfolk

 

Denise Provost

27th Middlesex

 

Jason M. Lewis

Fifth Middlesex

 

Frank I. Smizik

15th Norfolk

 

Ruth B. Balser

12th Middlesex

 

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

 

David Paul Linsky

5th Middlesex

 

Tom Sannicandro

7th Middlesex

 

Tricia Farley-Bouvier

3rd Berkshire

 

Richard J. Ross

Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex

 

John H. Rogers

12th Norfolk

 

Paul W. Mark

2nd Berkshire

 

James J. Dwyer

30th Middlesex

 

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

20th Middlesex

 

Jay R. Kaufman

15th Middlesex

 

Jonathan Hecht

29th Middlesex

 

Michael J. Finn

6th Hampden

 

Peter J. Durant

6th Worcester

 

Denise Andrews

2nd Franklin

 

John D. Keenan

7th Essex

 

Ryan C. Fattman

18th Worcester

 

Katherine M. Clark

Fifth Middlesex

 

Sean Garballey

23rd Middlesex

 

Jonathan D. Zlotnik

2nd Worcester

 

Stephen Kulik

1st Franklin

 

Patricia D. Jehlen

Second Middlesex

 

Timothy R. Madden

Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket

 

Carl M. Sciortino, Jr.

34th Middlesex

 

Jeffrey N. Roy

10th Norfolk

 

Aaron Vega

5th Hampden

 

Harold P. Naughton, Jr.

12th Worcester

 

Danielle W. Gregoire

4th Middlesex

 

James Arciero

2nd Middlesex

 

David M. Rogers

24th Middlesex

 

Josh S. Cutler

6th Plymouth

 

Thomas M. Stanley

9th Middlesex

 

Cheryl A. Coakley-Rivera

10th Hampden

 

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

 

Kate Hogan

3rd Middlesex

 

Carolyn C. Dykema

8th Middlesex

 

Paul Brodeur

32nd Middlesex

 

James J. O'Day

14th Worcester

 

Christopher G. Fallon

33rd Middlesex

 

Paul R. Heroux

2nd Bristol

 

Michael D. Brady

9th Plymouth

 

Keiko M. Orrall

12th Bristol

 

Gale D. Candaras

First Hampden and Hampshire

 

Brian M. Ashe

2nd Hampden

 

Daniel B. Winslow

9th Norfolk

 

John P. Fresolo

16th Worcester

 

Thomas P. Conroy

13th Middlesex

 

Bruce E. Tarr

First Essex and Middlesex

 

Geoff Diehl

7th Plymouth

 

Kenneth I. Gordon

21st Middlesex

 


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2923        FILED ON: 1/18/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 457

By Representatives Peisch of Wellesley and Lewis of Winchester, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 457) of Alice Hanlon Peisch and others relative to improving the quality of education by reviving the foundation budget review commission.  Education.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Thirteen

_______________

 

An Act reviving the foundation budget review commission.

 

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.  Chapter 70 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out Section 4, as so appearing, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 4. There shall be a foundation budget review commission to review the way in which foundation budgets are calculated and to make recommendations to the general court regarding such changes as may be appropriate. In conducting such review, the commission shall seek to determine the educational programs and services necessary to achieve the commonwealth’s educational goals, including those necessary to fully implement state curriculum standards and to prepare students to achieve passing scores on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System examinations. The review shall include, but not be limited to: class size; special education programs, including programs for English language learners; preschool programs for all 3 and 4 year-olds and full-day kindergarten; additional resources necessary to assure educational opportunity for low-income students; salaries necessary to attract and retain high quality professionals; extracurricular programs; remedial programs for students at risk of failing to satisfy graduation requirements; books and other curriculum materials; equipment for science lab programs; and technology. In addition, the commission shall seek to determine how resources can be used in the most effective manner. In carrying out the review, the commission shall examine relevant data and any reports on education funding produced within the 10 years preceding the issuance of a commission report. The commission shall include the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on education, who shall serve as co-chairs, the secretary of education, the commissioner of elementary and secondary education, the speaker of the house of representatives or a designee, the president of the senate or a designee, the minority leader of the house of representatives or a designee, the minority leader of the senate or a designee, the governor or a designee, the chair of the house committee on ways and means or a designee, the chair of the senate committee on ways and means or a designee and 1 member to be appointed by each of the following organizations:  the Massachusetts Municipal Association, the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Parent Teacher Association, Stand for Children, the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators and the Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools. Members shall receive no compensation for their services but may receive reimbursement for the reasonable expenses incurred in carrying out their responsibilities as members of the commission. The department shall furnish reasonable staff and other support for the work of the commission.

Prior to issuing its recommendations, the commission shall conduct not fewer than four hearings to receive testimony from members of the public. The hearings shall be held in locations that provide opportunities for residents from all geographic regions of the commonwealth to testify.

It shall not constitute a violation of chapter 268A for a person employed by a school district to serve on the commission or to participate in commission deliberations that may have a financial impact on the district employing that person or on the rate at which that person may be compensated. The commission may establish procedures to ensure that no such person participates in commission deliberations that may directly affect the school districts employing those persons or that may directly affect the rate at which those persons are compensated.

The commission’s recommendations, together with any proposed legislation, shall be filed every four years with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives who shall refer such recommendations to the appropriate committee of the general court. Within 30 days after such filing, the committee shall hold a public hearing on the recommendations.

SECTION 2.  The foundation budget review commission established in section 4 of chapter 70 of the General Laws shall file its initial recommendations with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives under said section 4 of said chapter 70 not later than December 31, 2013; provided, however, that the commission may issue an initial interim report before that date.