An approval system for these grants will be established with the Legislature and the Governor. In FY'96, an initial grant is being provided to each of the fourteen initial charter schools to assist them in opening their doors in September. Additional supplemental funds may also be distributed in future years. By combining a professional development institute with an alternative school focused on a specific target group of students, the WPI Academy provides a model for both professional development and charter schools. In general, school districts must provide transportation only for students grades K-6 who live more than 2 miles from a school.
Private schools are also eligible for reimbursement of transportation costs.
Although regional school districts are eligible for full reimbursement for all transportation costs, the actual level of reimbursement is prorated according to the annual state appropriation. Beginning in FY'96, sending districts are no longer eligible for tuition reimbursement. Since 1992, the Department has administered the School Food Service Outreach Campaign. In 1948 the Commonwealth enacted Chapter 645, the School Building Assistance Act. In decades that have followed, the state has assisted over a thousand school construction or renovation projects.