District/School Administration Administration
The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

Approval of Non-Operating School Districts

This month's Board package contains two motions relative to the Department's responsibility and authority over districts that do not maintain schools at certain grade levels.

The first is an annual motion approving the requests submitted by the superintendents and school committees of several small towns that do not operate their own schools and seek to tuition their students to public schools in another town. This action is governed by General Laws chapter 71, sections 1, 4 and 6. I have enclosed copies of the relevant sections of the statutes, for easy reference.

A tuition agreement is one of several organizational options for small school districts to join together to provide services on a regional basis. Other options include superintendency unions, regional school districts and educational collaboratives.

The requests are all in order for Board approval, and the superintendents will be notified of the Board's action.

Since this is a routine request that is made each year by the same small towns, I have also included a second motion for your consideration. The Board has authority to delegate matters to the Commissioner, under General Laws chapter 15, section 1F, paragraph 3. The second motion would delegate to the Commissioner the authority to approve these requests in future years. I would report to the Board on any such approvals that I grant.

Enclosures:

Statutes - General Laws chapter 71, sections 1, 4 and 6
Motion to approve district tuition arrangements for 2009-2010
Motion to delegate future approvals to Commissioner