HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3494        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Alice Hanlon Peisch

_________________

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 the training of school committee members.

_______________

PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3494        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

_______________

An Act relative to the training of school committee members.

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. Section 36A of the chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking section 36A and replacing it with the following section: -

Section 36A. School committee members, within three months after their initial election or appointment, shall complete at least 8 hours of orientation concerning the responsibilities of their office at no cost to individual school committee members. The orientation shall include but not be limited to a review of school finance, Chapter 70 of the Massachusetts General Laws, the statewide education goals and academic standards as described in Section 1D of of Chapter 69 the General Laws, the open meeting law, public records law, conflict of interest law, special education law, collective bargaining, school leadership standards and evaluations and the roles and responsibilities of school committee members. The orientation shall be developed by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. and may be provided by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, Inc. or any other entity approved by the commissioner of education. The Association and any other entity providing such orientation shall offer every year at least 3 orientation sessions at no required cost to eligible school committees. A certificate shall be awarded to each participant upon completion of the orientation and notice thereof shall be filed with the clerk of the city or town where the school committee member resides. Failure to comply with the orientation outlined in this section will disqualify the school committee member from participating in any formal business before the committee.