Amendment ID: S2480-40

Amendment 40

Creating a Technical Education Funding Commission

Messrs. Lesser, Tarr and O'Connor move that the proposed new text be amended after section 3, by adding the following section:-

"SECTION X. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall hereby be established a commission to be known as the School Funding Commission to study funding options for career technical education, or CTE programs, renovation, replacement, or building wings on to vocational schools, and for other needed new public schools.

(b) This commission shall make recommendations which shall include but not be limited to the following:

(1) Options to raise additional revenue to enable the Massachusetts School Building Authority to adequately finance public comprehensive and vocational technical school buildings by contributing through reimbursements a higher percentage rate towards construction and for other needed public schools;

(2) Whether the Massachusetts School Building Authority may spend money on equipment, or if they are limited to funding for educational institution structures;

(3) Whether the Massachusetts School Building Authority should add incentives for the approved chapter 74 educational spaces in programs that align to labor market demand;

(4) How to simplify state law, particularly section 16 of chapter 71 of the General Laws, so that all regional school districts can secure bonding for critical capital projects through the district-wide referendum process outlined in subsection (n) of said section 16 of said chapter 71;

(5) How to change language in subsection (d) of said section 16 of said chapter 71 to allow all regional school districts the option to secure project bonding approval upon a two-thirds vote of approval of each legislative body of a municipality comprising the district; and

(6) Any other recommendations relative to CTE funding and other public school funding at the commission’s discretion.

(c) Recommendations through the study, which shall include the findings of the study and any proposed drafts of legislation, shall be made no later than February 28, 2022, with a formal report filed to the Governor, the Speaker of the House, the Senate President, the Chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means, the Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, the Joint Committee on Education, the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, and the State Treasurer.

(d) The commission membership shall consist of 15 representatives:

(1) the Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development or a designee from within the office of Labor and Workforce Development;

(2) the Secretary of Education or a designee from within the Office of Education;

(3) the Associate Commissioner for College, Career, and Technical Education within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education or a designee from within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, who shall serve as chair;

(4) the Chief Executive Office of the Massachusetts School Building Authority or a designee from within the Massachusetts School Building Authority;

(5) two to be appointed by the Governor;

(6) three to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(7) three to be appointed by the Senate President;

(8) one to be appointed by the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators;

(9) one to be appointed by the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents; and

(10) one to be appointed by the Alliance for Vocational Technical Education.

(e) The committee membership must be appointed in full no later than 30 days of this section becoming law."