SENATE DOCKET, NO. 713        FILED ON: 1/15/2015

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 292

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Patricia D. Jehlen

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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 relative to charter school enrollment.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 713        FILED ON: 1/15/2015

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 292

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 240 OF 2013-2014.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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

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An Act relative to charter school enrollment.

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 71, Section 89 of the General Laws as so appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking subsection (o) and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:

The Department of Education shall annually, no later than April 1, notify each public school district in writing of the number of students who will be attending the charter school from the district the following September as well as the number of new students who will be transferring from that district to the charter school in the following September.  Charter school tuition payments from the district shall be based on the previous year’s enrollment in a manner identical to the calculation of a district’s chapter 70 aid.

SECTION 2.  Said Chapter 71, Section 89, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out subsection (oo) and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:

Beginning in fiscal year following the effective date of this act, any charter school whose total charter school enrollment is greater than its total charter school enrollment for the previous year shall be reimbursed by the commonwealth in accordance with this paragraph and subject to appropriation; provided, however, that the reimbursement amount shall be equal to 100 per cent of the increase in the year in which the increase occurs; 60 per cent of that amount in the first year following; and 40 per cent of that amount in the second year following.