Amendment #7 to H3773

Horace Mann Schools

Mr. Puppolo of Springfield moves to amend the bill by inserting after section 35, the following section:-

“SECTION 35A. Subsection (n) of section 89 of chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the first paragraph the following 4 paragraphs:-

Notwithstanding the enrollment preferences in this section, a Horace Mann charter school in the cities of Salem or Springfield may limit enrollment geographically or add a geographic enrollment preference by: (i) using the assignment system of the city in which it is located; provided, however, that within the walk zone for the Horace Mann charter school, as calculated by the city’s preexisting student assignment system, the percentage of students who qualify for the free or reduced price lunch program or another successor measure as determined by the department is equal to or higher than the district’s overall percentage of students who qualify for the program; or (ii) offering enrollment preferences to students who reside in a specific geographical area in which the school building is located; provided, however, that within this geographical preference area, the percentage of students who qualify for the free or reduced price lunch program or another successor measure as determined by the department is equal to or higher than the district’s overall percentage of students who qualify for the program.

In order to institute a geographical enrollment limitation or preference, the original charter of the Horace Mann charter school or an amendment to the charter shall permit such an enrollment limitation or preference. An amendment to the charter of a Horace Mann charter school to add an enrollment limitation or preference shall require the approval of the local school committee, the board of trustees of the Horace Mann charter school and the commissioner.

In addition to providing the information pursuant to subsection (e), a charter school that offers geographical enrollment preferences shall include in its application for approval or amendment: (i) a definition of the geographical area for which it shall offer an enrollment preference; (ii) an explanation of how this preference will support the mission of the charter school; (iii) evidence that within this geographical area there resides an equal or higher percentage of low-income students, as measured by qualification for the free or reduced price lunch program, or another measure as approved by the department, as compared to the district enrollment as a whole; and (iv) an explanation of how the charter school will target its recruitment and retention efforts for students within this geographical area. If a charter school that chooses to offer a geographical preference seeks a charter renewal and intends to continue applying the geographical preference, the board shall consider whether the preference area continues to serve an adequate percentage of low-income students to qualify under this subsection.

In Horace Mann charter schools that offer geographical enrollment preferences, priority for enrollment shall be given in the following order: (i) to students actually enrolled in the school on the date the application is filed with the board and their siblings; (ii) to students who reside within the geographical preference area and are enrolled in the public schools of the district where the Horace Mann charter school is to be located; (iii) to other students who reside within the geographical preference area; (iv) to other students enrolled in the public schools of the district where the Horace Mann charter school is to be located but who reside outside of the geographical preference area; and (v) to other students who reside outside of the geographical preference area but within the city or town in which the charter school is located.”