General Laws of Massachusetts - Chapter 71 Public Schools

• Massachusetts General Laws - Maintenance; double sessions; subjects; twelve-month school year - Chapter 71, Section 1
  Every town shall maintain, for at least the number of days required by the board of education in each school year unless specifically exempted as...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Period of silence - Chapter 71, Section 1A
  At the commencement of the first class of each day in all grades in all public schools the teacher in charge of the room in...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Voluntary prayer - Chapter 71, Section 1B
  The school committee of any city or town may permit any child attending its public schools to participate in voluntary prayer with the approval of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Workshops on rights of students and their parents under special education laws of the commonwealth and the federal government - Chapter 71, Section 1C
  Each school district shall conduct, in cooperation with the local parent advisory council, at least one workshop annually within the school district on the rights...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Subjects of instruction; history and civics - Chapter 71, Section 2
  In all public elementary and high schools American history and civics, including the constitution of the United States, the declaration of independence and the bill...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Student use of tobacco products - Chapter 71, Section 2A
  It shall be unlawful for any student, enrolled in either primary or secondary public schools in the commonwealth, to use tobacco products of any type...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Courses in American sign language - Chapter 71, Section 2B
  In all public elementary and secondary schools, American Sign Language shall be recognized as a standard, independent language with its own grammar, syntax, vocabulary, and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Implementation of policy and discipline code addressing teen dating violence in public schools - Chapter 71, Section 2C
  Each school district in the commonwealth, subject to appropriation, shall implement a specific policy and discipline code to address teen dating violence in public schools....
• Massachusetts General Laws - Physical education - Chapter 71, Section 3
  Physical education shall be taught as a required subject in all grades for all students in the public schools for the purpose of promoting the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - High schools; maintenance; diplomas awarded to veterans - Chapter 71, Section 4
  Every town containing, according to the latest federal census, five hundred families or householders, shall, unless specifically exempted by the board of education and under...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Failure to keep schools open for required period; penalty - Chapter 71, Section 4A
  Every town which, without having received a specific exemption from the board of education, fails to keep open all schools required to be maintained under...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1948, 643, Sec. 2 - Chapter 71, Section 5
  Repealed, 1948, 643, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Education in out-of-town high schools - Chapter 71, Section 6
  If a town of less than five hundred families or householders, according to such census, does not maintain a public high school offering four years...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Admission of students from outside Commonwealth - Chapter 71, Section 6A
  Any city, town, or regional school district, acting through its school committee, may, if the school committee finds it has adequate space, accept in any...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1947, 679, Sec. 5 - Chapter 71, Section 7
  Repealed, 1947, 679, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Transportation of pupils; payment of costs; limitations - Chapter 71, Section 7A
  The state treasurer shall annually, on or before November twentieth, pay to the several towns subject to appropriation, the sums required as reimbursement for expenses...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Transportation of pupils; reimbursement of costs; determination of amount; use of funds - Chapter 71, Section 7B
  To provide for the reimbursement of part of the cost not reimbursable under section seven A incurred directly by a school department or indirectly by...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Bus transportation programs; financial assistance - Chapter 71, Section 7C
  No financial assistance shall be provided by the commonwealth for the purchase of buses or the operation thereof to any applicant for such assistance unless...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1948, 643, Sec. 2 - Chapter 71, Section 8 9
  Repealed, 1948, 643, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Expenses of physically disabled children - Chapter 71, Section 10
  If the school committee of a town of less than five hundred families or householders not maintaining a public high school offering four years of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - High school; definition - Chapter 71, Section 11
  For the purposes of the six preceding sections, a “high school” is defined as that part of the school system which furnishes instruction in addition...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1969, 254, Sec. 6 - Chapter 71, Section 12
  Repealed, 1969, 254, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Requested courses; school committee approval - Chapter 71, Section 13
  In every public school having not less than one hundred and fifty pupils, any course not included in the regular curriculum shall be taught if...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1972, 215, Sec. 2 - Chapter 71, Section 13A to 13C
  Repealed, 1972, 215, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - High schools; required subjects; driver training - Chapter 71, Section 13D
  Motor vehicle driving education may be incorporated as a phase of the safety education program in high schools of the commonwealth. The content of driver...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1972, 215, Sec. 2 - Chapter 71, Section 13E
  Repealed, 1972, 215, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Broadcast and television facilities; cost of program; executive committee for educational television - Chapter 71, Section 13F
  The course of study in elementary and high schools may include instruction by means of educational programs broadcast through the facilities of television stations. The...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Executive committee for educational television; rules and regulations; personnel - Chapter 71, Section 13G
  Subject to the approval of the board of education, the executive committee for educational television shall act in matters pertaining to educational television. Said committee...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Educational television program fund; accounts and reports - Chapter 71, Section 13H
  The committee may establish and manage under such regulations as it may from time to time prescribe, a trust fund to be known as the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Executive committee for educational television; powers and duties - Chapter 71, Section 13I
  In order to carry out its duties, said committee, from time to time and within the limits of appropriation therefor and of available trust funds,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Regional school district planning committee; creation; membership - Chapter 71, Section 14
  Any town, by vote in town meeting duly called therefor, may create a special unpaid committee to be known as a regional school district planning...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Duties of planning board - Chapter 71, Section 14A
  It shall be the duty of the regional school district planning board to study the fiscal and educational advisability of establishing a regional school district,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Regional school districts; formation; procedure - Chapter 71, Section 14B
  The said regional district planning board may recommend that there shall be established a regional school district which may include all the towns represented by...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Lease or sale of property to regional school districts - Chapter 71, Section 14C
  The agreement made under section fourteen B, or any amendment to such an agreement, may contain provisions authorizing any member town to sell, lease or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Agreement; approval of indebtedness - Chapter 71, Section 14D
  The agreement made under section fourteen B, or any amendment to such an agreement, may provide that the incurring of indebtedness by the district shall...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Regional school district committee membership options - Chapter 71, Section 14E
  A regional school district may, by amendment to its regional school district agreement, provide for one of the following options concerning the members of its...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Acceptance of organization provisions by electorate - Chapter 71, Section 15
  The selectmen or council of each of the several towns shall, upon receipt of the recommendation that a regional school district should be formed and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Status; powers and duties - Chapter 71, Section 16
  A regional school district established under the provisions of the preceding section shall be a body politic and corporate with all the powers and duties...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Regional district school committee; selection, powers and duties of officers; subcommittees - Chapter 71, Section 16A
  The powers, duties and liabilities of a regional school district shall be vested in and exercised by a regional district school committee organized in accordance...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Budgets; apportionment of expenses - Chapter 71, Section 16B
  The regional district school committee, by a two-thirds vote of all its members, shall annually determine the amounts necessary to be raised, after deducting the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Excess and deficiency fund; surplus funds used to reduce assessments - Chapter 71, Section 16B1/2
  If the unencumbered amount in the excess and deficiency fund, so called, of a regional school district at the end of a fiscal year exceeds...
• Massachusetts General Laws - School transportation - Chapter 71, Section 16C
  The regional school district shall be subject to all laws pertaining to school transportation; and when the agreement provides for the furnishing of transportation by...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Aid from state - Chapter 71, Section 16D
  (a) A regional school district shall be entitled to receive state aid for construction of regional schools. Each city or town in a regional school...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Monies received as nonresident tuition or reimbursements from commonwealth for foster care children - Chapter 71, Section 16D1/2
  All monies received by a regional district school committee as tuition payments for nonresident students and as reimbursements from the commonwealth for students who are...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Audits; payment of costs - Chapter 71, Section 16E
  The director of accounts in the department of corporations and taxation shall annually cause an audit to be made of the accounts of the regional...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Retirement system - Chapter 71, Section 16F
  The regional school district shall maintain a contributory retirement system for non-teaching employees of the district, subject in all respects to the applicable provisions of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Liability of towns for expenses of district - Chapter 71, Section 16G
  No town in a regional school district shall be liable for any obligation imposed on any other town in said district by authority of sections...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Stabilization fund - Chapter 71, Section 16G1/2
  A regional school district may, upon a majority vote of all the members of the regional district school committee and, with the approval of a...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 2003, 46, Sec. 80 - Chapter 71, Section 16H
  Repealed, 2003, 46, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Severability of sections relating to regional school districts - Chapter 71, Section 16I
  If any provision of said sections, or the application of such provision to any person or circumstances, shall be held invalid, the remainder of said...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1991, 138, Sec. 336 - Chapter 71, Section 17
  Repealed, 1991, 138, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Culinary arts program; special fund - Chapter 71, Section 17A
  In any city or town which accepts the provisions of this section and in any regional school district upon its acceptance by the school committee...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Evening schools - Chapter 71, Section 18
  Any town may, and every town in which there are issued during any year certificates authorizing the employment of twenty or more persons who do...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Evening classes in high schools - Chapter 71, Section 19
  Every city of fifty thousand inhabitants shall maintain annually an evening high school, in which shall be taught such subjects as the school committee considers...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Notice of evening schools; publication; fees for instruction - Chapter 71, Section 20
  The school committee shall, two weeks next before the opening of each term of the evening schools, post in three or more public places in...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Instructional Materials Trust Fund - Chapter 71, Section 20A
  Any city, town or regional school district, located within such city or town, which accepts the provisions of this section may establish a fund to...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Continuation schools; establishment; conditions - Chapter 71, Section 21
  Every town which has accepted chapter three hundred and eleven of the General Acts of nineteen hundred and nineteen, and in which, in any year,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Attendance - Chapter 71, Section 22
  Every minor described in the preceding section shall, subject to the laws relating to the public schools, attend said schools or courses in the town...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Use of existing educational facilities - Chapter 71, Section 23
  In the establishment and conduct of said schools or courses, a town may take advantage of established educational agencies, and may utilize any suitable quarters...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Cost of maintenance; source of funds - Chapter 71, Section 24
  The town of residence of a person who is required by section twenty-two to attend a continuation school of another town shall pay to such...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Unemployed minors; attendance requirements - Chapter 71, Section 25
  Any minor under sixteen who has been regularly employed in a town other than that of his residence, and who is temporarily unemployed, may be...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Penalty for failure to establish or maintain school - Chapter 71, Section 26
  A town required by section twenty-one to establish and to maintain continuation schools or courses which refuses or neglects to appropriate money necessary therefor, shall...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Extended school services for children whose parents are employed; establishment; conditions - Chapter 71, Section 26A
  If the school committee of a town determines that sufficient need exists therein for extended school services for children, between three and fourteen years of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Organization and operation of plan - Chapter 71, Section 26B
  If said school committee, upon determination by it of sufficient need, votes that said services should be established by it in such town upon approval...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Contributions and federal funds; use - Chapter 71, Section 26C
  The commonwealth and the school committee of any town may accept funds from the federal government for the purposes of sections twenty-six A to twenty-six...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Borrowing in anticipation of federal funds - Chapter 71, Section 26D
  If a town shall have a written contract with the federal government whereby said government grants or offers such town a sum of money to...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1978, 367, Sec. 70E - Chapter 71, Section 26E
  Repealed, 1978, 367, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1966, 14, Sec. 52 - Chapter 71, Section 26F
  Repealed, 1966, 14, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Lectures - Chapter 71, Section 27
  The school committee may employ competent persons to deliver lectures on the natural sciences, history, and kindred subjects, and may provide cards or pamphlets giving...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Summer schools - Chapter 71, Section 28
  The school committee may establish and maintain schools to be kept open for the whole or any part of the summer vacation; but attendance thereon...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1979, 717, Sec. 3 - Chapter 71, Section 29
  Repealed, 1979, 717, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Moral education - Chapter 71, Section 30
  The president, professors and tutors of the university at Cambridge and of the several colleges, all preceptors and teachers of academies and all other instructors...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1986, 195 - Chapter 71, Section 30A
  Repealed, 1986,
• Massachusetts General Laws - Bible reading - Chapter 71, Section 31
  A portion of the Bible shall be read daily in the public schools, without written note or oral comment; but a pupil whose parent or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Guidelines for celebration of holidays authorized - Chapter 71, Section 31A
  The school committee may set appropriate guidelines for the celebration of Christmas and other festivals observed as holidays for the purpose of furthering the educational,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Observance of Memorial Day - Chapter 71, Section 32
  In all the public schools the last regular session, or a portion thereof, prior to the last Monday in May, known as Memorial Day, shall...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Sex education; policy regarding notice to parents, exception - Chapter 71, Section 32A
  Every city, town, regional school district or vocational school district implementing or maintaining curriculum which primarily involves human sexual education or human sexuality issues shall...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1979, 439, Sec. 1 - Chapter 71, Section 33
  Repealed, 1979, 439, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Support of schools; appropriations; recommendations - Chapter 71, Section 34
  Every city and town shall annually provide an amount of money sufficient for the support of the public schools as required by this chapter, provided...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Transcript of student’s record; availability - Chapter 71, Section 34A
  Any person operating or maintaining an educational institution within the commonwealth shall, upon request of any student or former student thereof, furnish to him a...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Remedy for failure to furnish transcript of student’s record - Chapter 71, Section 34B
  In case any person subject to section thirty-four A shall refuse or neglect for thirty days after such request to furnish such a written transcript,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1965, 43 - Chapter 71, Section 34C
  Repealed, 1965,
• Massachusetts General Laws - Student records; maintenance, storage, destruction, etc.; inspection by parent or guardian - Chapter 71, Section 34D
  The board of education shall adopt regulations relative to the maintenance, retention, duplication, storage and periodic destruction of student records by the public elementary and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Inspection of student records; persons authorized - Chapter 71, Section 34E
  Each school committee shall, at the request of a parent or guardian of a student, allow such parent or guardian to inspect academic, scholastic, or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1976, 50, Sec. 2 - Chapter 71, Section 34F
  Repealed, 1976, 50, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Private schools; transfer of transcripts upon ceasing operation - Chapter 71, Section 34G
  In the event that any private educational institution providing a course of study through the twelfth grade level ceases operation, the owner or administrators shall...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Noncustodial parents; receipt of information for child enrolled in public elementary or secondary schools; notice to custodial parent - Chapter 71, Section 34H
  (a) Each public elementary and secondary school shall provide student records, including, but not limited to, the following information, in a timely and appropriate manner...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Beginning of term - Chapter 71, Section 35
  In cities where no other provision is made in the charter thereof, the term of office of members of the school committee shall begin at...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Secretary; appointment; duties - Chapter 71, Section 36
  The school committee shall appoint a secretary who shall keep a permanent record book, in which all its votes, orders and proceedings shall be recorded.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Orientation for school committee members - Chapter 71, Section 36A
  School committee members, within 1 year after their initial election or appointment, shall complete at least 8 hours of orientation concerning the responsibilities of their...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Powers and duties; superintendent serving joint districts - Chapter 71, Section 37
  The school committee in each city and town and each regional school district shall have the power to select and to terminate the superintendent, shall...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Grants; acceptance and disbursement - Chapter 71, Section 37A
  School committees of cities and towns and regional district school committees may accept grants or gifts for educational purposes from federal, state, county and municipal...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Purchase of or making payments to annuities or investments - Chapter 71, Section 37B
  A school committee or a board of trustees of a vocational school may, on a day appointed, which shall be within ninety days of the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Promotion of racial balance - Chapter 71, Section 37C
  It is hereby declared to be the policy of the commonwealth to encourage all school committees to adopt as educational objectives the promotion of racial...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Racial imbalance; definitions; statistics; transfers; priorities; plans for elimination; public hearings; regulations; jurisdiction; costs; attorney’s fees - Chapter 71, Section 37D
  As used in this section, sections thirty-seven C, I, and J, sections one I through one K of chapter fifteen, and section twelve A of...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Legal counsel for collective bargaining - Chapter 71, Section 37E
  The school committee of a city or town may employ legal counsel in connection with collective bargaining with employee organizations for school employees, and may...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Legal counsel for general purposes - Chapter 71, Section 37F
  The school committee of a city or town may employ legal counsel for the general purposes of the committee and may expend money therefor from...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Corporal punishment of pupils prohibited; use of physical restraint; regulations - Chapter 71, Section 37G
  (a) The power of the school committee or of any teacher or any other employee or agent of the school committee to maintain discipline upon...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Policies relative to conduct of teachers or students; student handbooks - Chapter 71, Section 37H
  The superintendent of every school district shall publish the district’s policies pertaining to the conduct of teachers and students. Said policies shall prohibit the use...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Felony complaint or conviction of student; suspension; expulsion; right to appeal - Chapter 71, Section 37H1/2
  Notwithstanding the provisions of section eighty-four and sections sixteen and seventeen of chapter seventy-six: (1) Upon the issuance of a criminal complaint charging a student...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Suspension or expulsion on grounds other than those set forth in Secs. 37H or 37H1/2 - Chapter 71, Section 37H3/4
  [Text of section added by 2012, 222, Sec. 3 effective July 1, 2014. See 2012, 222, Sec. 12.] (a) This section shall govern the suspension...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Magnet school facilities; grants; application; approval; agreements; eligible costs; regulations - Chapter 71, Section 37I
  Notwithstanding any contrary provisions of law, including, but not limited to, chapter six hundred forty-five of the acts of nineteen hundred and forty-eight, as amended,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Magnet educational programs; reimbursement for cost; definition; contracts; joining programs - Chapter 71, Section 37J
  The board of education may, subject to appropriation, reimburse any city, town or regional district for all or part of the cost of providing magnet...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Business demonstration projects; disposition of proceeds - Chapter 71, Section 37K
  Each school committee may authorize business demonstration projects of an educational nature, to be operated by students as an educational service. Each such project shall...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Notification to school personnel of reporting requirements for child abuse and neglect and fires; reports of students possessing or using dangerous weapons on school premises; transferred students’ school records - Chapter 71, Section 37L
  The school committee of each city, town or regional school district shall inform teachers, administrators, and other professional staff of reporting requirements for child abuse...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Consolidation of administrative functions with city or town - Chapter 71, Section 37M
  (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter forty-one or chapter seventy-one or any other special or general law to the contrary, any city or town which...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Policy for school-sponsored student travel - Chapter 71, Section 37N
  Each school committee shall establish a policy concerning student travel sponsored by a school that is planned to occur between the hours of midnight and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - School bullying prohibited; bullying prevention plans - Chapter 71, Section 37O
    Section 37O. (a) As used in this section the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meaning:-   "Approved private day...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Employment of teachers, aides, principals, etc.; designation of Horace Mann teachers; performance evaluations; performance standards - Chapter 71, Section 38
  No school district shall require that an individual reside within the city, town or regional school district as a condition of promotion, assignment, transfer or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Duties; appointment of director of occupational guidance, duties of director - Chapter 71, Section 38A
  The school committee of a town not in an occupational guidance and placement district may employ a director or directors of occupational guidance and placement,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1978, 367, Sec. 70E - Chapter 71, Section 38B
  Repealed, 1978, 367, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Status of director of occupational guidance - Chapter 71, Section 38C
  Every such director of occupational guidance and placement shall be deemed to be a regularly appointed teacher in the school system of the town by...
• Massachusetts General Laws - District directors of occupational guidance; appointment - Chapter 71, Section 38D
  Two or more towns may, by vote of each, form a district for the purpose of employing a director of occupational guidance and placement, who...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1978, 367, Sec. 70E - Chapter 71, Section 38E
  Repealed, 1978, 367, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Fees for services of directors of occupational guidance; prohibition; penalty for violation - Chapter 71, Section 38F
  A director of occupational guidance and placement who accepts any commission, fee, compensation or reward of any kind for obtaining a position for any person...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Certification for certain teaching and administrative positions; provisional and standard certificates; policies and guidelines regarding requirements and qualifications; applications; recommendations; review; continuing education; renewal of certificate - Chapter 71, Section 38G
  As used in this section the following words shall have the following meanings: “Board”, the board of education established by chapter fifteen. “Provisional educator”, a...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Specialist teacher endorsement in transition services; transition of students with disabilities to post-school activities - Chapter 71, Section 38G1/2
  As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meaning:— “Board”, the board of elementary and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - School librarian and school library supervisor or co-ordinator; tenure - Chapter 71, Section 38H
  Every school librarian and school library supervisor or co-ordinator appointed by a school committee shall acquire tenure in the school system of the city or...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Reimbursement of teachers for tuitions and fees - Chapter 71, Section 38I
  The school committee of any city or town may, under regulations prescribed by the school committee, reimburse teachers for tuition and fees incurred by such...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1995, 209, Sec. 2 - Chapter 71, Section 38J
  Repealed, 1995, 209, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Public relations bureau in school departments; establishment - Chapter 71, Section 38K
  In cities having a population of over one hundred thousand, the school committee may establish within the school department a bureau of public relations for...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1978, 512, Sec. 12 - Chapter 71, Section 38L
  Repealed, 1978, 512, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Student advisory committees - Chapter 71, Section 38M
  School committees of cities, towns and regional school districts shall meet at least once every other month, during the months school is in session, with...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Proposed annual budgets; public hearings required; quorum - Chapter 71, Section 38N
  The school committee of each city, town or regional school district shall hold a public hearing on its proposed annual budget not less than seven...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Sex education advisory committees - Chapter 71, Section 38O
  In any city, town or regional school district which accepts this section, the school committee shall meet at least once every other month with an...
• Massachusetts General Laws - School psychologists; tenure - Chapter 71, Section 38P
  Every school psychologist and supervisor of school psychologists appointed by a school committee and holding certification as a school psychologist from the department of education...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Professional development plans; statewide assistance plan - Chapter 71, Section 38Q
  Every school district in the commonwealth shall adopt and implement a professional development plan for all principals, teachers, other professional staff, paraprofessionals and teacher assistants...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Curriculum accommodation plan - Chapter 71, Section 38Q1/2
  A school district shall adopt and implement a curriculum accommodation plan to assist principals in ensuring that all efforts have been made to meet students’...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Criminal background check of current or prospective school employee, volunteer, or other persons having direct and unmonitored contact with children; criminal offender record information; state and national fingerprint-based criminal background checks - Chapter 71, Section 38R
  [ Text of section effective until September 3, 2013 applicable as provided by 2012, 459, Sec. 9 as repealed by 2013, 77, Sec. 8. For...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Teacher’s application forms; questions concerning religion or politics - Chapter 71, Section 39
  No public school committee or official shall inquire concerning, or require or solicit from an applicant for a position in the public schools any information...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Compensation of teachers; deferred payment - Chapter 71, Section 40
  The compensation of each teacher, except a person in training and except a person employed as a temporary substitute, upon a majority vote of the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Tenure of teachers and superintendents; persons entitled to professional teacher status; dismissal; review - Chapter 71, Section 41
  For the purposes of this section, a teacher, school librarian, school adjustment counselor, school nurse, school social worker or school psychologist who has served in...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Leaves of absence of professional staff - Chapter 71, Section 41A
  The school superintendent may grant a leave of absence for study or research to any teacher, registered nurse, principal, supervisor, director, school librarian, school business...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Leaves of absence; Peace Corps - Chapter 71, Section 41B
  A school superintendent shall grant to a teacher who has been accepted to serve in the Peace Corps of the United States and who is...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Dismissal or demotion of teachers or other employees of school or school district; arbitration - Chapter 71, Section 42
  A principal may dismiss or demote any teacher or other person assigned full-time to the school, subject to the review and approval of the superintendent;...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1993, 71, Sec. 45 - Chapter 71, Section 42A
  Repealed, 1993, 71, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Rights of school employees in regional districts - Chapter 71, Section 42B
  The provisions of this chapter relating to school personnel granted certificates in accordance with section thirty-eight G shall apply to all such school personnel employed...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Records of teachers; inspection - Chapter 71, Section 42C
  School officials of cities and towns keeping records concerning any teacher or his work shall, at the written request of the teacher, permit the teacher...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Suspension of district employees - Chapter 71, Section 42D
  The superintendent may suspend any employee of the school district subject to the provisions of this section. The principal of a school may suspend any...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Reduction of salaries; conditions - Chapter 71, Section 43
  The salary of no teacher employed with professional teacher status in any city or town except Boston shall be reduced without his consent except by...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1993, 71, Sec. 49 - Chapter 71, Section 43A 43B
  Repealed, 1993, 71, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Restrictions on teachers’ political rights; prohibition - Chapter 71, Section 44
  No committee shall by rule, regulation, or otherwise, restrict any teacher in, or dismiss him for, exercising his right of suffrage, signing nomination papers, petitioning...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Procurement of teaching positions; regulation of fees; penalty for violation - Chapter 71, Section 45
  No person shall demand or accept from any applicant for the position of teacher in the public schools a fee or other compensation exceeding two...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1972, 766, Sec. 10 - Chapter 71, Section 46 to 46B
  Repealed, 1972, 766, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1968, 352, Sec. 2 - Chapter 71, Section 46C
  Repealed, 1968, 352, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1972, 766, Sec. 10 - Chapter 71, Section 46D to 46F
  Repealed, 1972, 766, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1995, 209, Sec. 4 - Chapter 71, Section 46G
  Repealed, 1995, 209, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1972, 766, Sec. 10 - Chapter 71, Section 46H to 46M
  Repealed, 1972, 766, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Athletic programs; school organizations; student activity accounts - Chapter 71, Section 47
  The committee may supervise and control all athletic and other organizations composed of public school pupils and bearing the school name or organized in connection...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Athletic coaches; employment - Chapter 71, Section 47A
  The superintendent may contract to employ athletic coaches hired under the provisions of section fifty-nine B for periods not in excess of three years. The...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Textbooks and school supplies - Chapter 71, Section 48
  The principal at each school, subject to the direction of the superintendent, shall, at the expense of the school district, purchase textbooks and other school...
• Massachusetts General Laws - School safety patrols; functions, limitations; liability - Chapter 71, Section 48A
  School committees shall have authority to organize school safety patrols, consisting of pupils, whose functions shall be to encourage pupils to cross highways at designated...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Uniforms of school employees - Chapter 71, Section 48B
  The school committee may make expenditures for the purchase and care of uniforms to be worn by employees whose duties require the preparation, handling and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Purchase of textbooks by pupils - Chapter 71, Section 49
  Pupils in the public schools may, if the committee so votes, purchase from the town, under such regulations as the committee may prescribe, any textbooks...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Orders for materials and equipment; contracts for services - Chapter 71, Section 49A
  At any time after the annual appropriations for the ensuing fiscal year are made by a city or town or by all the member cities...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Change of school books - Chapter 71, Section 50
  A change may be made in the school books used in the public schools by a vote of two thirds of the whole school committee...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Exhibition of school work at expositions - Chapter 71, Section 51
  The school committee may, at any national, state, or foreign exposition, make an exhibition showing the character, standing, or work of its public schools.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Compensation of school committee members - Chapter 71, Section 52
  The school committee shall serve without compensation, except that a member of a school committee of a city, town, regional school district or superintendency union...
• Massachusetts General Laws - School physicians and nurses - Chapter 71, Section 53
  The school committee shall appoint one or more school physicians and registered nurses, shall assign them to the public schools within its jurisdiction, shall provide...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Employment of medical personnel by superintendency district or union; compensation; removal - Chapter 71, Section 53A
  A superintendency district formed and conducted under the provisions of section sixty, or a superintendency union formed and conducted under the provisions of sections sixty-one...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Towns within a superintendency district or union; exemption from appointment requirement - Chapter 71, Section 53B
  The towns comprised in a superintendency district or union employing, to the satisfaction of the department, one or more school physicians and registered nurses in...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Examination of children and school personnel - Chapter 71, Section 54
  Every school physician shall make a prompt examination of all children referred to him as provided in this chapter, and such further examination of teachers,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Physician or person trained in emergency medical care; assignment to interscholastic football games - Chapter 71, Section 54A
  A physician employed by a school committee or a person who has completed a full course in emergency medical care as provided in section six...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Administration of medications in school settings; regulations - Chapter 71, Section 54B
  Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the department of public health shall promulgate regulations governing the administration of medications, including psychotropic medications...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Contagious diseases; regulations - Chapter 71, Section 55
  A child infected, or in a household where a person is infected, with a disease dangerous to the public health as defined in accordance with...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Sick, injured or incapacitated pupils; procedure for handling; emergency first aid or transportation; exemption from civil liability - Chapter 71, Section 55A
  A child showing signs of ill health or of being infected with a disease dangerous to the public health as defined in accordance with section...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 2003, 46, Sec. 81 - Chapter 71, Section 55B
  Repealed, 2003, 46, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Eye protective devices - Chapter 71, Section 55C
  Each teacher and pupil of any school, public or private, shall, while attending school classes in industrial art or vocational shops or laboratories in which...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Sick children; notification of parents - Chapter 71, Section 56
  If any child is found to be suffering from any disease or defect, or if any child is found to have any defect or disability...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Physical examination of pupils; eye examination, written report - Chapter 71, Section 57
  The committee, or the board of health in those municipalities where school health services are the responsibility of the board of health, shall cause every...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1945, 543, Sec. 1 - Chapter 71, Section 58
  Repealed, 1945, 543, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Superintendent of schools; appointment; compensation; powers and duties - Chapter 71, Section 59
  The school committee of a town not in a superintendency union or district shall employ a superintendent of schools and fix his compensation. A superintendent...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Superintendents of schools in small towns; appointment; state aid for compensation - Chapter 71, Section 59A
  In any town, having a valuation of less than two million five hundred thousand dollars, which is not a member of a superintendency union under...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Principals; appointment; compensation; duties; appointment of other personnel - Chapter 71, Section 59B
  [First paragraph effective until September 1, 2016. For text effective September 1, 2016, see below.] The superintendent of a school district shall appoint principals for...
• Massachusetts General Laws - School councils; members; meetings; duties - Chapter 71, Section 59C
  At each public elementary, secondary and independent vocational school in the commonwealth there shall be a school council consisting of the school principal, who shall...
• Massachusetts General Laws - School-community partnerships; grant program - Chapter 71, Section 59D
  Superintendents and principals in every school district in the commonwealth shall pursue opportunities to establish school-community partnerships that may advance policy development, staff development, curriculum...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1969, 254, Sec. 6 - Chapter 71, Section 60
  Repealed, 1969, 254, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Superintendent of schools; employment by a town union; termination of town participation in a union - Chapter 71, Section 61
  The school committees of two or more towns, each having a valuation less than two million five hundred thousand dollars, and having an aggregate maximum...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Readjustment of town unions - Chapter 71, Section 62
  The department may form or readjust such unions whenever it becomes necessary to include one or more towns otherwise unable to comply with the preceding...
• Massachusetts General Laws - School committees as joint committee; representation: meetings; employment of superintendent, removal - Chapter 71, Section 63
  The school committees of such towns shall, for the purposes of the union, be a joint committee and shall be the agent of each participating...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Union superintendent; compensation - Chapter 71, Section 64
  The salary of the superintendent in such a union or in any twelve grade regional school district or the combined salary received by a person...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1978, 367, Sec. 70E - Chapter 71, Section 65
  Repealed, 1978, 367, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1958, 241 - Chapter 71, Section 66
  Repealed, 1958,
• Massachusetts General Laws - Superintendents of schools; penalty for accepting fees for obtaining positions; employment of immediate family of certain persons prohibited - Chapter 71, Section 67
  A superintendent of schools who accepts any commission, fee, compensation, or reward of any kind for obtaining for any person a position as teacher in...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Duties of towns to maintain schools; transportation of children; school building committee representation - Chapter 71, Section 68
  Every town shall provide and maintain a sufficient number of schoolhouses, properly furnished and conveniently situated for the accommodation of all children therein entitled to...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Display of national flags; pledge of allegiance; penalty for violation - Chapter 71, Section 69
  The school committee shall provide for each schoolhouse under its control, which is not otherwise supplied, flags of the United States of silk or bunting...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Plaque reading “For God and Country”; placement on public school buildings - Chapter 71, Section 69A
  On every public school building within the commonwealth there may be placed in a conspicuous location a suitable plaque which shall contain the words “For...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Location of schools - Chapter 71, Section 70
  A town may, at a town meeting, determine the situation of its schoolhouses.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Use of school property; purposes - Chapter 71, Section 71
  For the purpose of promoting the usefulness of public school property the school committee of any town may conduct such educational and recreational activities in...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Highway safety stations; designation, discontinuance - Chapter 71, Section 71A
  A school committee may, subject, however, to all other provisions of law, designate the locations for the erection of highway safety stations for children awaiting...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Adult physical fitness programs - Chapter 71, Section 71B
  A school committee may offer adult physical fitness programs to be held in the gymnasium of any school at any time during which such gymnasium...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Community school programs; receipts; deposit and expenditure - Chapter 71, Section 71C
  All moneys received by the school committee in connection with the conduct of community school programs, so designated by prior vote of said committee, shall...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Prepayment of tuition to private schools or program sources - Chapter 71, Section 71D
  A school committee of any city, town, or regional school district may authorize the prepayment of tuition for a period not exceeding three months to...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Appropriations for and expenditure of receipts from adult education and continuing education programs - Chapter 71, Section 71E
  In any city or town which accepts this section, all moneys received by the school committee in connection with the conduct of adult education and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Nonresident or foster care students; deposit of tuition payments and state reimbursements; expenditures and appropriations - Chapter 71, Section 71F
  In any city or town which accepts this section, all monies received by the school committee as tuition payments for nonresident students and as state...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Sale of lunches - Chapter 71, Section 72
  The school committee may prepare and sell lunches at one or more school buildings for the pupils and teachers of the public schools at such...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Closing of school for teachers’ meetings - Chapter 71, Section 73
  The superintendent of schools may, unless the committee votes otherwise, direct the closing of schools under his supervision in order that teachers may attend a...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Management of schools funds by private corporations - Chapter 71, Section 74
  This chapter shall not affect the right of any corporation established in a town to manage any estate or funds given or obtained for the...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Extended courses of instruction - Chapter 71, Section 75
  If the school committee of any city or town determines that sufficient need exists in such city or town for providing a course of school...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Rules of admission - Chapter 71, Section 76
  Any such school committee shall establish as one of the rules of admission to the benefits of such extended course of instruction that the persons...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Joint establishment of extended courses - Chapter 71, Section 77
  Two or more cities or towns in which the establishment of such extended course of instruction has been voted and approved as hereinabove provided may...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1978, 367, Sec. 70E - Chapter 71, Section 78
  Repealed, 1978, 367, Sec.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Junior College designation, degrees - Chapter 71, Section 79
  Any city or town may use the designation “Junior College” with respect to its maintenance of such extended course of instruction at a particular school...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Lunch period for teachers - Chapter 71, Section 80
  Every teacher employed in any public school whose duties commence prior to twelve o’clock noon, shall be allowed a thirty-minute lunch period between the hours...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Junior colleges; restriction on establishment - Chapter 71, Section 81
  Notwithstanding the provisions of sections seventy-five to seventy-nine, inclusive, no junior college shall be established by a city or town after January first, nineteen hundred...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Public secondary schools; right of students to freedom of expression; limitations; definitions - Chapter 71, Section 82
  The right of students to freedom of expression in the public schools of the commonwealth shall not be abridged, provided that such right shall not...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Dress and appearance of students protected - Chapter 71, Section 83
  School officials shall not abridge the rights of students as to personal dress and appearance except if such officials determine that such personal dress and...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Discipline of students on matters unrelated to school-sponsored activities prohibited - Chapter 71, Section 84
  No student shall be suspended, expelled, or otherwise disciplined on account of marriage, pregnancy, parenthood or for conduct which is not connected with any school-sponsored...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Guidelines implementing Secs. 82 to 84; rules and regulations; adoption; emergencies; procedures - Chapter 71, Section 85
  The board of education may adopt guidelines to implement the provisions of sections eighty-two to eighty-four, inclusive. School committees shall adopt rules and regulations consistent...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Application of Secs. 83 to 85 - Chapter 71, Section 86
  The provisions of sections eighty-three to eighty-five, inclusive, shall apply only to cities and towns which accept the same.
• Massachusetts General Laws - Intelligence test scores; records - Chapter 71, Section 87
  The score of any group intelligence test administered to a student enrolled in a public school shall be removed from the record of said student...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Military recruiters; on-campus recruiting opportunities - Chapter 71, Section 88
  Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, all public high schools shall offer the same student information and on-campus recruiting opportunities to representatives...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Commonwealth charter schools; Horace Mann charter schools; applications; enrollment; employees; funding - Chapter 71, Section 89
  (a) As used in this section the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:— “Board”, the board of elementary...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Classroom placement of twins or higher order multiples - Chapter 71, Section 90
  A parent or guardian of twins or higher order multiples may, if the children are in the same grade level at the same school request...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Recovery High School; definition; enrollment; student performance; rules and regulations; deduction of home school district allotment for failure to transfer funds as required - Chapter 71, Section 91
  (a) The term “Recovery High School” shall mean a public school or collaborative program for students diagnosed with substance use disorder or dependency, as defined...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Innovation Schools - Chapter 71, Section 92
  (a) An Innovation School shall be a public school, operating within a public school district, that is established for the purpose of improving school performance...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Policy regarding internet safety measures for schools providing computer access to students - Chapter 71, Section 93
  Every public school providing computer access to students shall have a policy regarding internet safety measures to protect students from inappropriate subject matter and materials...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Commonwealth virtual schools - Chapter 71, Section 94
  (a) As used in this section the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:— “Board”, the board of elementary...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Reimbursement aid to municipalities for costs incurred for federal military reservation students - Chapter 71, Section 95
  [Text of section added by 2014, 173, Sec. 1 effective July 1, 2014. See 2014, 173, Sec. 2. See also, Section 95 added by 2014,...
• Massachusetts General Laws - Suicide awareness and prevention training - Chapter 71, Section 95-2
  [Text of section added by 2014, 284, Sec. 12 effective August 13, 2014. See also, Section 95 added by 2014, 173, Sec. 1 effective July...

Last modified: September 11, 2015