Section 4. There is hereby established a foundation budget review commission to review the way in which foundation budgets are calculated and to make recommendations to the general court regarding such changes in the formula as may be appropriate. In conducting such review, the commission shall seek to determine the educational programs and services needed to prepare students to achieve passing scores on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System. The commission shall examine the assumed percentage for special education costs included in such formula and shall make recommendations regarding changes in such percentage or other mechanisms to finance special education costs including, but not limited to, reimbursement programs or phased-in, standards-based funding programs that increase the state contribution to such costs over a fixed period of years. The commission shall include the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on education, arts and humanities, who shall serve as co-chairs, the commissioner of education, the chair of the education reform review commission, the speaker of the house of representatives or his designee, the president of the senate or his designee, the minority leader of the house of representatives or his designee, the minority leader of the senate or his designee, the governor or his designee, the chair of the house committee on ways and means or his designee, the chair of the senate committee on ways and means or his designee and one member to be appointed by each of the following organizations: the Massachusetts Municipal Association, the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, the Massachusetts Superintendents Association, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the Massachusetts Federation of Teachers, the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Association for Vocational Administrators and the Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools. Members shall receive no compensation for their services but may receive reimbursement for the reasonable expenses incurred in carrying out their responsibilities as members of the commission. The department shall furnish reasonable staff and other support for the work of the commission.
The commission shall conduct not fewer than four hearings to receive testimony from members of the public. The hearings shall be held in locations that provide opportunities for residents from all geographic regions of the commonwealth to testify.
It shall not constitute a violation of chapter 268A for a person employed by a school district to serve on the commission or to participate in commission deliberations that may have a financial impact on the district employing such person or on the rate at which such person may be compensated. The commission may establish procedures to ensure that no such person participates in commission deliberations that may directly affect the school districts employing such persons or that may directly affect the rate at which such persons are compensated.
The commission’s recommendations, together with any proposed legislation, shall be filed not later than September 30 of each even-numbered year with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives who shall refer such recommendations to the appropriate committee of the general court. Within 30 days after such filing, the committee shall hold a public hearing on the recommendations.
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