SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2609        FILED ON: 10/29/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2465

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

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 quantifying the SPED Gap by comparing actual special education costs to current special education assistance.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Joanne M. Comerford

Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester

 

Mindy Domb

3rd Hampshire

2/3/2020


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2609        FILED ON: 10/29/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2465

By Ms. Comerford, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2465) (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Joanne M. Comerford and Mindy Domb for legislation to quantify the SPED Gap by comparing actual special education costs to current special education assistance.  Education.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

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

_______________

 

An Act quantifying the SPED Gap by comparing actual special education costs to current special education assistance.

 

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

Chapter 70 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 9 the following section:-

SECTION 9A. Each school district shall report district and school level data to the commissioner, in a form and manner prescribed by the commissioner, on expenditures and required staffing for special education. The reports shall provide actual spending for special education. The reports shall be made publicly available on the department website.

Based on the reported data, the commissioner shall annually examine if the statutory assumptions of special education enrollment and projected staffing requirements are adequate to meet the actual special education costs and educational needs of enrolled students, and the impact of those assumptions on school finances. The analysis shall additionally identify those school districts where the actual costs of special education exceed 125 per cent of the amount provided to the district for special education under this chapter. The analysis shall also determine the difference in dollars between the amount provided to all schools in the Commonwealth for special education and the actual costs of providing special education as determined by this section. The results and analysis of the examination shall be provided annually to the secretary of administration and finance, house and senate committees on ways and means, and joint committee on education.