HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1356        FILED ON: 1/15/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 424

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Peter V. Kocot

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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 supporting municipal fiscal stability through a special education stabilization fund.

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PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Peter V. Kocot

1st Hampshire

1/15/2015

Marcos A. Devers

16th Essex

2/3/2015

James J. Dwyer

30th Middlesex

1/21/2015

John H. Rogers

12th Norfolk

2/2/2015


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1356        FILED ON: 1/15/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 424

By Mr. Kocot of Northampton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 424) of Peter V. Kocot and others for legislation to authorize school districts to establish a reserve fund for certain special education and transportation costs.  Education.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

_______________

 

An Act supporting municipal fiscal stability through a special education stabilization fund.

 

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 40 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding after section 13C the following section: 

Section 13D. Any school district which accepts the provisions of this section by majority vote of the school committee and acceptance by a majority vote of the legislative body or, in the case of a regional school district acceptance by majority vote of the legislative bodies in a majority of the member communities of the district may establish, and appropriate or transfer money to a reserve fund to be utilized in the upcoming fiscal year or years, to pay, without further appropriation, for unanticipated and/or unbudgeted costs of special education out of school district tuition and/or transportation. The balance in such separate stabilization fund shall not exceed 2% of the annual net school spending of the school district. 

The district treasurer may invest the monies in the manner authorized by Section 54 of Chapter 44, and any interest earned thereon shall be credited to and become part of the fund. In the case of Regional School Districts, funds may be added to the special education stabilization fund only be appropriation in the annual budget voted at annual town meetings of member towns.