Amendment #488 to H4400

Chapter 70 Foundation Reserve Funds for Economically Distressed Communities

Representatives Barrett of North Adams and Pignatelli of Lenox move to amend the bill in section 2, line item 7061-0011, in line 10, by inserting after "purpose" the following:

“and provided further, that in order to provide an equal education for all students in the Commonwealth, not less than $5,000,000 shall be expended to assist school districts in economically distressed communities, including communities in regional school districts.  In order to be eligible to apply for funding, the community must meet one of the following criteria:  (a) the median family income is 75% or less of the statewide median* or (b) the unemployment rate is 1.5% or more above the state unemployment rate*; and the community must be located in a county that has experienced a significant population decline between 2010 and June 30, 2018 (*based on February 2018 data of the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development available at https://www.mass.gov/find-unemployment-rates);"

Additional co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #488 to H4400

Chapter 70 Foundation Reserve Funds for Economically Distressed Communities