Amendment #404 to H4000

Kocot amendment-FY 2015-Regional School District Community Withdrawal Process

Representatives Kocot of Northampton and Pignatelli of Lenox move to amend the bill by adding the following section:  "SECTION XXXX.  Section 16D of Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following subsection at the end thereof: "(f)  Upon written notification by a community or a regional school district that a community is withdrawing from a regional school district, the department shall convene a reorganization needs conference to assess the rationale for said withdrawal and to initiate a long range education plan to determine the expected educational benefits and adverse impacts of said withdrawal, impacts on current and future enrollment, an inventory of all educational facilities under the jurisdiction of the remaining communities and the regional district, plans for the reimbursement of capital expenditures made by the Commonwealth in facilities located in the withdrawing community, the requirements for continued assessments to the withdrawing community for regional district facilities previously paid by the withdrawing community, the administrative structure of the new regional district, the long term fiscal impacts of said withdrawal, including detailed analyses of transportation, special education, vocational education and personnel costs, and fiscal recommendations to hold harmless the remaining communities.  Said long range education plan shall include consideration of compliance with state and federal law and the potential for enhancing learning opportunities and student performance for all students in the remaining communities.  The reorganization needs conference and long range education planning process shall include participation by all communities remaining in the district, including select boards, finance boards, school committees, school administrators and residents of said communities.  Upon completion of said processes, the department shall file a report of its findings with the House and Senate Committees on Ways and Means, and the remaining communities in the regional school district, including recommendations for enhanced funding options for the remaining communities to maintain access to quality K-12 education."