HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3168        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 409

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Natalie M. Blais and Joanne M. Comerford

_________________

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 evaluating providing additional educational assistance to school districts with low or declining enrollment.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Natalie M. Blais

1st Franklin

1/16/2019

Joanne M. Comerford

Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester

1/16/2019

Tricia Farley-Bouvier

3rd Berkshire

1/27/2019

Tram T. Nguyen

18th Essex

1/27/2019

John Barrett, III

1st Berkshire

1/29/2019

Mindy Domb

3rd Hampshire

1/28/2019

Anne M. Gobi

Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire and Middlesex

1/29/2019

Stephan Hay

3rd Worcester

2/1/2019

David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf

17th Worcester

1/31/2019

Michael O. Moore

Second Worcester

1/30/2019

Denise Provost

27th Middlesex

1/31/2019

David Allen Robertson

19th Middlesex

1/29/2019

David M. Rogers

24th Middlesex

2/1/2019

Bruce E. Tarr

First Essex and Middlesex

1/30/2019

José F. Tosado

9th Hampden

1/29/2019

Bud L. Williams

11th Hampden

1/30/2019


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3168        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 409

By Representative Blais of Sunderland and Senator Comerford, a joint petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 409) of Natalie M. Blais, Joanne M. Comerford and others that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education be authorized to conduct a feasibility study of an adjustment to the formula for aid to be allocated to school districts with low or declining enrollment as a component of the foundation budget process.  Education.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

_______________

 

An Act evaluating providing additional educational assistance to school districts with low or declining enrollment.

 

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

The department of elementary and secondary education shall conduct a feasibility study of establishing an adjustment to the formula for aid to be allocated to school districts with low or declining enrollment as a component of the foundation budget process. The study shall examine the impact of fixed labor and material costs that do not vary relative to the number of students on the ability of schools with low or declining enrollment to provide a quality education to their students. The study shall consider options for a formula adjustment, including use of a low or declining enrollment adjustment factor applied in a manner similar to the wage adjustment factor. The study shall examine the feasibility of such a formula applied to a range of districts, including pre-K to 12 or K-12, non-vocational and non-charter school districts with enrollments of 1,300 students or fewer. The study shall also evaluate how a low or declining enrollment adjustment factor would impact schools receiving rural school aid under item 7061-9813 of chapter 154 of the acts of 2018. The department shall report the results of the study to the chairs of the joint committee on education and the house and senate chairs of the committees on ways and means, on or before January 1, 2020.