Section:
Most recently amended by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education: June 26, 2012
(1) All public schools in the Commonwealth shall admit students without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation. This includes, but is not limited to charter, elementary, secondary, trade, regional vocational-technical schools and selective academic high schools.
(2) No school shall discourage in any express or implied manner, applicants for admission because of race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation. Written materials and other media used to publicize a school shall specifically affirm that the school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation.
(3) The national citizenship of any applicant shall not be a criterion for admission to any public school nor shall national citizenship be a factor in the assignment or availability of courses of study or extra-curricular activities.
(4) Any standards used as part of the admissions process, including but not limited to testing, the use of recommendations and interviewing, to any public school (as referred to in 603 CMR 26.02 (1)) shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation. A student's limited English-speaking ability (as defined by M.G.L. c. 71A) shall not be a deterrent to or limitation on a student's admission to a public school.
(5) In determining whether a student satisfies any criteria for admission to selective academic high schools, regional vocational technical schools, trade schools and charter schools, or in making any offer of admission to such a school, public school officials shall not treat a student differently from another based on the student's race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation. Public schools shall not use admission criteria that have the effect of subjecting students to discrimination because of their race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation.
(6) Nothing in 603 CMR 26.00 shall control the interpretation of or interfere with the implementation of M.G.L. c. 71, § 37C and related statutes, providing for the elimination of racial imbalance in public schools, or M.G.L. c. 71A, providing for the establishment of transitional bilingual education programs in public schools, all rules and regulations promulgated in respect thereto and all court and administrative decisions construing or relating thereto.
Regulatory Authority: 603 CMR 26.00: M.G.L. c. 76, § 5.
Disclaimer: For an official copy of these regulations, please contact the State House Bookstore, at 617-727-2834 or visit Massachusetts State Bookstore.
Last Updated: July 12, 2012
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