Source: http://www.doe.mass.edu/lawsregs/603cmr50.html?section=all
Timestamp: 2016-05-28 09:59:03
Document Index: 750163042

Matched Legal Cases: ['§1', '§ 4', '§ 4', '§ 4', '§ 4', '§ 22', '§ 4']

(1) Authority: 603 CMR 50.00 is promulgated pursuant to the authority of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education under M.G.L. c. 69, §1B, and M.G.L. c. 40, § 4E.
(2) Scope: 603 CMR 50.00 governs the formation, operation and review by the Department of educational collaboratives created under the authority of M.G.L. c. 40, § 4E.
(3) Purpose: The purpose of 603 CMR 50.00 is to provide uniform rules and procedures governing the establishment and operation of educational collaboratives.
Model Agreement: The collaborative agreement developed by the Department, which may be used or adapted by educational collaboratives. Non-Member District: A school committee or charter school board that receives services from the educational collaborative but is not a member district. Related For-Profit or Non-Profit Organization: Shall have the meaning as defined in M.G.L. c. 40, § 4E. 50.03: Department Approval
(b) The Board shall approve or disapprove a collaborative agreement or any amendment to such agreement, upon a recommendation by the Commissioner as to whether the collaborative agreement or amendment meets the standards in M.G.L. c. 40, § 4E and 603 CMR 50.00. 50.04: Collaborative Responsibilities
(a) Each appointed representative shall submit to the Department a certificate(s) of completion of such required training in a form required by the Department. An appointed representative may meet one or more of the training requirements through an alternative means by providing a description of the training and a certification of completion. The Department shall determine whether such training satisfies the requirement. (b) Failure of an appointed representative to attend the mandated training in the time frame set forth in 603 CMR 50.05(3) and 50.12(3) may result in the collaborative being placed on probationary status in accordance with 603 CMR 50.10. (c) The Department will publish notices of available training, certification requirements, criteria for approval of authorized training, and supplemental materials.
(1)	Annual Report: An educational collaborative shall prepare an annual report. Upon approval by the collaborative board of directors and no later than January 1 of each year, the annual report for the preceding fiscal year shall be submitted to the chair of each member district and the Commissioner. The collaborative shall make the annual report available on its website. The format and content of the annual report shall be presented in accordance with guidelines established by the Department, and shall include, at a minimum, the following information: (a)	information on the programs and services provided by the collaborative;
(2)	Audit Report: An educational collaborative shall submit an annual independent audit report to the collaborative board of directors for discussion and approval. Upon approval by the collaborative board of directors and no later than January 1 of each year, the annual audit report for the preceding fiscal year shall be submitted to the chair of each member district, the Commissioner and the State Auditor. The collaborative shall make the audit report available on its website. The Department, in consultation with the State Auditor, may establish standards for financial reporting and for supplemental statements to accompany the audit report, as needed. The audit report shall be presented in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards and additional guidelines as may be established by the Department. The audited financial statements, accompanying notes, and supplemental schedules shall also disclose: (a)	transactions between the educational collaborative and any related for-profit or non-profit organization; (b)	transactions or contracts related to the purchase, sale, rental, or lease of real property;
(c)	the names, duties, and total compensation of the five most highly compensated employees; (d)	the amounts expended on administration and overhead;
(3)	Reporting to Other Agencies: An educational collaborative that provides social service programs as defined in M.G.L. c. 7, § 22N shall adhere to the uniform system of financial accounting, allocation, reporting and auditing requirements of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Administration and Finance, Operational Services Division (OSD). (4)	Other Information and Reports: An educational collaborative shall file such other student, program, financial and staffing information, reports or documents as the Department deems necessary. 50.09: Department Review of Educational Collaboratives
(1)	Six-Year Review Cycle: The Department shall review the programs and services provided by each educational collaborative at least once every six-years. The review shall focus on compliance with special education and other programmatic requirements, civil rights requirements, and financial systems and controls. The review shall determine compliance with the written collaborative agreement, with the requirements of M.G.L. c. 40, § 4E, and with these regulations. As a result of any finding, the collaborative board of directors and/or the member districts may be required to develop a corrective action plan that may result in remedial action or suspension or revocation of the collaborative agreement as noted in 603 CMR 50.10 and 50.11. (2)	Evaluation and Compliance: The Department may evaluate, review, or audit any part of the educational collaborative's records to determine whether the student, personnel, program and financial data reported by the collaborative are accurate, to ensure compliance with applicable law and regulations, to determine whether the collaborative is maintaining effective controls over revenues, expenditures, assets, and liabilities, and to corroborate and augment information provided in other reporting documents.
(1)	Voluntary Termination: A collaborative may dissolve the collaborative in accordance with the procedures set forth in the collaborative agreement. (2)	Termination Procedures: (a)	The collaborative must submit the following information to the Department:
A process for determining the appropriate disposition of federal/state funds, equipment, and supplies;
Identification of the member district(s) responsible for maintaining all fiscal records upon termination of the collaborative;
Identification of the member district(s) responsible for maintaining student, employee, and program records upon termination of the collaborative;
The plans of the member districts to accommodate the programs and services formerly provided by the educational collaborative;
A process for determining the appropriate disposition of all assets of the collaborative, including capital property owned by the educational collaborative;
A process for meeting all liabilities of the collaborative, including obligations for post-employment benefits;
Copies of the minutes of the meetings of the board of directors and the member districts' recording of the vote to terminate the collaborative;
A copy of the final audit of the collaborative, including an accounting of assets and liabilities of the collaborative and the disposition of same.
(b)	The collaborative shall comply with the closing procedures established by the Department in guidelines.