Administration and Finance
Commissioner's Office
District Support
Educational Options
Instructional Support
Kaleidoscope Collective
Legal
Planning and Research
Strategic Initiatives
Student Assessment
Section:
Most Recently Amended by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education: September 30, 2025
(1) Department Review of Regional Agreements and Amendments to Regional Agreements.
All new regional agreements and all amendments to regional agreements must be submitted for Department review prior to submission to the local appropriating authorities of the participating municipalities and to the Commissioner for approval.
(2) Formation, Enlargement, Expansion, Withdrawal, and Dissolution.
(a) A new regional school district may be formed or an existing regional school district may amend its regional agreement to enlarge or expand the regional school district as of July 1 of any fiscal year, provided that all requisite member approvals for such formation, enlargement, or expansion and the Commissioner's approval shall be obtained no later than the preceding December 31. The regional agreement or amendment to the regional agreement and authorizing local votes may provide for the deferral of an expansion or enlargement until July 1 of a subsequent fiscal year.
(b) Following the approval of a prospective member for admission into a regional school district and continuing until the actual date of such admission, the local school committee of the prospective member may designate a non-voting representative to the regional school committee.
(c) A member may withdraw from a regional school district only after submitting a Long-Range Education Plan in accordance with 603 CMR 41.02(2). Such withdrawal shall be reflected in an amendment to the regional agreement, proposed with all requisite member approvals to the Department for Commissioner approval, in accordance with the timeline in 603 CMR 41.03(2)(a). The authorizing local votes may provide for the deferral of said withdrawal and implementation of said amendment to the regional agreement until July 1 of a subsequent fiscal year.
(d) A proposal to decrease the grade levels of a regional school district requires the submission of Long-Range Education Plans by the members in accordance with 603 CMR 41.02(2) to reflect the reconfigured school districts. Such reorganization shall be reflected in an amendment to the regional agreement, proposed with all requisite member approvals to the Department for Commissioner approval, in accordance with the timeline in 603 CMR 41.03(2)(a). The authorizing local votes may provide for the deferral of said decrease in the grade levels and implementation of said amendment to the regional agreement until July 1 of a subsequent fiscal year.
(e) A regional agreement may be terminated and the regional school district dissolved only after the members have submitted Long-Range Education Plans in accordance with 603 CMR 41.02(2). Such dissolution shall be reflected in an amendment terminating the regional agreement, proposed with all requisite member approvals to the Department for Commissioner approval, in accordance with the timeline in 603 CMR 41.03(2)(a).
(3) Local Votes.
When a regional agreement or amendment to a regional agreement proposed under 603 CMR 41.03(1) or 603 CMR 41.03(2)(a), (c), (d) or (e) has been approved by the local appropriating authorities of the participating municipalities, the regional school district planning board or regional school committee shall submit the proposed regional agreement or amendment to the regional agreement, together with the certified votes of the participating municipalities, to the Commissioner for approval.
(4) Commissioner Approval.
The Commissioner shall approve or disapprove a regional agreement, any subsequent amendments to a regional agreement, and any proposal to terminate a regional agreement. The Commissioner's approval shall be based on a review and recommendation by the Department that shall include, but not be limited to, whether the regional agreement or amendment to the regional agreement meets the standards in 603 CMR 41.00 and applicable law and regulations. No change to a regional agreement shall be effective until approved by the Commissioner. The decision of the Commissioner shall be final.
(5) Transition Planning Period.
With the approval of the Commissioner, a regional agreement may provide for a transition planning period to commence with the election or appointment of the new regional school committee. Such transition planning period may extend not longer than the remainder of the fiscal year in which the new regional school committee is elected or appointed plus one additional fiscal year. During such transition planning period, the existing school committees shall continue to oversee and operate the schools in their respective school districts. The new regional school committee shall have non-operating status during this period and shall have power to hire staff, enter into contracts, and take such other actions as are needed to prepare for an orderly transition. At the end of the transition planning period, responsibility for the oversight and operation of the regional school district shall transfer to the new regional school committee.
Regulatory Authority: 603 CMR 41.00: M.G.L. c. 69, §1B; c. 71, §14B and §16D; c. 150E, §1.
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: October 2, 2025