Section 7: Tuition; children under control of department of children and families; foster care; reimbursement
Section 7. For the tuition in the public schools of any city, town, or regional school district of any school age child placed in foster care or group care elsewhere than in his home town by, or there kept under the control of, the department of children and families, the commonwealth shall fully reimburse said city, town, or regional school district for the child's tuition each day the child is enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school. The amount of said reimbursement shall be based on the average annual per pupil cost of education in the city, town, or regional school district, as determined by the department of education.
For purposes of reimbursement under this section, every superintendent of schools shall, as part of the annual statement required to be filed with the commissioner of education under chapter seventy, report on a form provided by the department of education the number of school age children placed in foster care or group care in the city, town or regional school district by the department of children and families and the duration of their public school enrollment there, and shall support each such claim with appropriate documentation as required by the commissioner of education.
The names and addresses of foster children enrolled in a school system and the designation of a student as a foster child or ward of the commonwealth shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed by any employee of the commonwealth or of any political subdivision thereof, except for the purpose of reporting to the commissioner of education pursuant to this section.