Amendment ID: S2888-17

Amendment 17

Foundation Budget Review Commission

Messrs. Tarr and O'Connor move that the proposed new text be amended by inserting after section ____ the following section:--

"SECTION_.  The Foundation Budget Review Commission prescribed by Ch. 70, S. 4  of the General Laws shall convene not later than January 2, 2025, provided that, in addition to the review of the items identified in said section, the commission shall also consider the challenges presented for school districts with declining enrollment, the increased costs associated with social-emotional learning and mental health, the costs associated with special education,  and the methodology employed to calculate required local contribution by municipalities, provided further that, in establishing the scope of its operations, the commission shall conduct no less than 3 public hearings in geographically diverse locations in the commonwealth, which shall accommodate remote electronic participation.  The commission shall file a final report, including legislative recommendations, no later than September 30, 2025, with the clerks of the House and Senate, the House and Senate Committees on Ways and Means, the Joint Committee on Education, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Executive Office of Education  provided that the commission may file interim reports from time to time in the same manner."