The House of Representatives
approved an amendment offered by House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr.
(R-North Reading) to create an Educational Unfunded Mandate Task Force that
will review all state laws, regulations, and administrative directives that
impose reporting requirements and other mandates on school districts. In addition to developing a cost estimate for
these mandates, the task force will provide recommendations for streamlining,
consolidating or eliminating them. The Caucus’ goal is to prevent the state
from imposing costly mandates without also providing cities and towns with the
financial resources needed to comply with these requirements.
The task force will be
comprised of a cross-section of educational professionals, including representatives
of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, the Massachusetts
Association of School Committees, the Massachusetts Association of School
Business Officials, the Massachusetts Secondary School Administrators’
Association, the Massachusetts Elementary School Principals’ Association, and
the Massachusetts Administrators of Special Education. The House and Senate
chairs of the Joint Committee on Education will chair the task force, with the
Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education and two legislators
appointed by the House and Senate Minority Leaders also serving as members.
Pending final budget approval
in conference committee, the task force will convene this summer, and will issue
a final report of its findings and recommendations within one year of the
initial meeting.
