reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 71 § 71f (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 71f - Nonresident or Foster Care Students; Deposit of Tuition Payments and State Reimbursements; Expenditures and Appropriations

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 reimbursements for students who are foster care children shall be deposited with the treasurer of the town or city and held as separate accounts. The receipts held in such a separate account may be expended by said school committee without further appropriation for expenses incurred in providing education for such nonresident students or for such students who are foster care children, notwithstanding the provisions of section fifty-three of chapter forty-four. A city or town may appropriate funds for expenses incurred in providing education for such nonresident students or for such students who are foster care children, which funds shall be expended by the school committee in addition to funds provided from other sources.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 72 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 72 - Sale of Lunches

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 prices as it deems reasonable.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 72a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 72a - Implementation the Federal Community Eligibility Provision; Waiver; Training; Certification of Students for Free School Meal Status

[ Text of section added by 2021, 62, Sec. 1 effective October 14, 2021.]  Section 72A. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:  "Federal community eligibility provision'', as described in 7 C.F.R. 245.9(f).  "Identified student percentage'', as defined in 7 C.F.R. 245.9(f)(1)(iii).  "Provision 2'', as described in 7 C.F.R. 245.9(b).  (b)(1) A school district or individual school with an identified student percentage that is not less than 60 per cent shall elect and implement the federal community eligibility provision or provision 2 to provide universal free school breakfast and lunch to all students. This paragraph may be waived by the department if a school district or individual school is able to justify to the department that implementation will result in financial hardship to the school district or individual school.  (2) A school district or an individual school with an identified student percentage that is not less than 50 per cent but less than 60 per cent shall elect and implement the federal community eligibility provision or provision 2 to provide universal free school breakfast and lunch to all students unless: (i) the school committee for the school district or individual school votes, not later than June 1 of the first year of eligibility, to decline to participate in either the federal community eligibility provision or provision 2; or (ii) the department determines that the school district or individual school no longer has the qualifying identified student percentage. This paragraph may be waived by the department if a school district or an individual school is able to justify to the department that implementation will result in financial hardship to the school district or individual school.  (3) A school nutrition director or their designee shall attend at least 1 training by the department to learn about the federal community eligibility provision and other federal options that may be available to a school district or an individual school before a school committee vote or determination by the department pursuant to paragraph (1) or paragraph (2).  (c) A school district that participates in the national school lunch program shall take steps to maximize federal revenues and minimize debt on families under a protocol determined by the department that promotes the certification of students for free school meal status. The department shall assist school districts with improving the direct certification process and reducing administrative burdens on school districts. The department shall consult with representatives from the School Nutrition Association of Massachusetts, Inc. and relevant stakeholders to promote best practices to maximize federal revenues.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 72b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 72b - Unpaid Student Meal Debt; Determination of Whether Student Is Categorically-Eligible for Free or Reduced-Price Meals

[ Text of section added by 2021, 62, Sec. 1 effective October 14, 2021.]  Section 72B. (a) A school district superintendent or their designee shall notify a parent or guardian of a student's unpaid meal debt that remains unresolved. Within 30 days of notifying a family of the unpaid meal debt, the school district shall determine if the student is categorically-eligible for free or reduced-price meals. During the 30-day period, while the school district determines the student's eligibility for free or reduced-price meals, the student shall not be denied access to a school meal until the district has made a determination that the family is ineligible for free or reduced-price meals. The department shall establish the protocol that a school district superintendent or their designee shall use when notifying a parent or guardian or a student's unpaid meal debt.  (b) No employee, agent or volunteer of a school or school district shall:  (i) take any action that would publicly identify a student when payment has not been received for a school meal or for meals previously served to the student;  (ii) serve a student with unpaid meal debt an alternative meal that is not also available to all students at the cafeteria; provided, however, that the alternative meal shall comply with the pattern for a federally-reimbursable meal;  (iii) deny a student a meal as a form of behavioral discipline or punishment;  (iv) dispose of an already served meal because of the student's lack of funds to pay for the meal or because of unresolved meal debt;  (v) prohibit a student or a sibling of a student from attending or participating in non-fee based extracurricular activities, field trips or school events solely because of the student's unresolved meal debt;  (vi) prohibit a student from receiving grades, official transcripts, report cards or from graduating or attending graduation events solely because of unresolved meal debt; or  (vii) require a parent or guardian to pay fees or costs in excess of the actual amounts owed for meals previously served to the student.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 73 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 73 - Closing of School for Teachers' Meetings

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 meeting of a county association of teachers or an institute, conference, or convention held under the direction of the department.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 74 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 74 - Management of Schools Funds by Private Corporations

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 purpose of supporting schools therein, or in any wise affect such estate or funds.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 75 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 75 - Extended Courses of Instruction

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 instruction beyond the regular high school course of instruction, it shall submit in writing a plan of such course to the state department of education for its written approval, and may thereafter establish and maintain such extended course of instruction on junior college level, and public funds may be appropriated for the purpose; provided, that the course of instruction proposed in said plan shall conform to such standards as said department may establish and shall be maintained by said school committee under the general regulations of said department.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 76 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 76 - Rules of Admission

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 therein enrolled, or responsible agents acting in their behalf, shall pay into the treasury of such city or town, toward the cost of maintaining such course, such sum, not exceeding the actual cost thereof, as said school committee shall determine. If a city or town does not maintain such course of instruction, it may pay the charge authorized by this section in the case of any person who resides therein and obtains from its school committee a certificate to take the course in another city or town maintaining the same.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 77 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 77 - Joint Establishment of Extended Courses

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 jointly establish and maintain such a course for the accommodation of said municipalities. The management and control of such course of instruction, the location of the schoolhouse where such course will be maintained and the apportionment of the expenses of the maintenance of the course and all incidental expenses shall be determined, on a pro rata pupil basis, by the school committees of the participating towns.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 79 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 79 - Junior College Designation, Degrees

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 therein, and the school committee of such city or town may, subject to the approval of the board of higher education, grant any one or more of the degrees of associate in arts, associate in engineering or associate in science to persons who complete such course of instruction.  Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraph, a school established hereunder may be designated by a name which does not include the word ''junior''; provided, however, that the charter of such school shall require that such name, when used on its official documents and publications, be accompanied by a descriptive phrase which, in the judgment of the board of regents, will effectively distinguish such school from a senior college.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 80 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 80 - Lunch Period for Teachers

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 of ten o'clock in the forenoon and one o'clock in the afternoon, and shall not be required to perform any duties during said lunch period; provided, however, that the provisions of this section shall apply only in a city or town which accepts this section by vote of its school committee.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 81 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 81 - Junior Colleges; Restriction on Establishment

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 and fifty-nine.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 82 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 82 - Public Secondary Schools; Right of Students to Freedom of Expression; Limitations; Definitions

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 cause any disruption or disorder within the school. Freedom of expression shall include without limitation, the rights and responsibilities of students, collectively and individually, (a) to express their views through speech and symbols, (b) to write, publish and disseminate their views, (c) to assemble peaceably on school property for the purpose of expressing their opinions. Any assembly planned by students during regularly scheduled school hours shall be held only at a time and place approved in advance by the school principal or his designee.  No expression made by students in the exercise of such rights shall be deemed to be an expression of school policy and no school officials shall be held responsible in any civil or criminal action for any expression made or published by the students.  For the purposes of this section and sections eighty-three to eighty-five, inclusive, the word student shall mean any person attending a public secondary school in the commonwealth. The word school official shall mean any member or employee of the local school committee.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 83 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 83 - Dress and Appearance of Students Protected

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 appearance violate reasonable standards of health, safety and cleanliness.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 84 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 84 - Discipline of Students on Matters Unrelated to School-Sponsored Activities Prohibited

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 activities; provided, however, that in the case of a pregnant student, the school committee may require that the student be under the supervision of a physician.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 85 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 85 - Guidelines Implementing Secs. 82 to 84; Rules and Regulations; Adoption; Emergencies; Procedures

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 with guidelines of the board of education and the provisions of sections eighty-two to eighty-four, inclusive. The rules and regulations to be made by school officials shall be established only after notice to public school students and after a public hearing at which students' views, shall be presented and shall be taken into consideration by such officials. Said rules and regulations shall provide that, notwithstanding the existence of the rights and responsibilities described in the three preceding sections, school committees or school officials may take necessary action in cases of emergency. Students may petition for a hearing, to be held as soon as practicable after such emergency, as to whether such rules and regulations shall be revoked or modified.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 86 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 86 - Application of Secs. 83 to 85

Section 86. The provisions of sections eighty-three to eighty-five, inclusive, shall apply only to cities and towns which accept the same.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 87 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 87 - Intelligence Test Scores; Records

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 at the end of the school year in which such test was so administered.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 88 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 88 - Military Recruiters; On-Campus Recruiting Opportunities

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 of state or United States armed services as they offer to nonmilitary recruiters.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 90 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 90 - Classroom Placement of Twins or Higher Order Multiples

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 that the children be placed in the same classroom or in separate classrooms. The school may recommend classroom placement to the parents and provide professional education advice to the parents to assist in making the best decision for their children's education; provided, however, that the school shall provide the placement requested by the children's parent or guardian. The parent or guardian must request the classroom placement not later than 14 days after the first day of each school year or 14 days after the first day of attendance of the children during a school year.  For purposes of this section, ''higher order multiples'', shall mean triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets, or more.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 91 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 91 - Recovery High School; Definition; Enrollment; Student Performance; Rules and Regulations; Deduction of Home School District Allotment for Failure to Transfer Funds as Required

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 by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV–TR, that provides: (1) a comprehensive 4–year high school education, and (2) a structured plan of recovery.  (b) A school district shall transfer the state average foundation budget per pupil to a Recovery High School for a student meeting the following criteria: (1) the student is currently enrolled in the district or currently resides in the municipality in which the district is located; (2) the student is considered by a clinician, as defined by 105 CMR 164.006, to be clinically appropriate, using the criteria for Substance Use Disorders as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV–TR; and (3) the student meets all matriculation criteria as outlined by the sending district and the department of elementary and secondary education, with determination of academic eligibility based on existing documentation provided by the district. The district and the Recovery High School shall arrange to confer a diploma when a student completes state and district-mandated graduation requirements.  (c) A Recovery High School shall submit to the board of elementary and secondary education data considered necessary by the board to provide information regarding each student's academic performance. A Recovery High School shall also submit to the department of public health data regarding each student's recovery.  (d) The board of elementary and secondary education, in consultation with the department of public health and the department of mental health, shall promulgate rules and regulations, as necessary to implement this section.  (e) Failure by a school district to transfer funds to a Recovery High School as required in subsection (b) shall result in a deduction of the amount therein from the home school district's chapter 70 per pupil allotment for the following fiscal year.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 93 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 93 - Policy Regarding Internet Safety Measures for Schools Providing Computer Access to Students

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 that can be accessed via the internet and shall notify the parents or guardians of all students attending the school of the policy. The policy and any standards and rules enforcing the policy shall be prescribed by the school committee in conjunction with the superintendent or the board of trustees of a commonwealth charter school.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 96 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 96 - Substance Use Prevention and Abuse Education Policies for Public Schools

Section 96. Each public school shall have a policy regarding substance use prevention and the education of its students about the dangers of substance abuse. The school shall notify the parents or guardians of all students attending the school of the policy and shall post the policy on the school's website. The policy, and any standards and rules enforcing the policy, shall be prescribed by the school committee in conjunction with the superintendent or the board of trustees of a charter school.  The department of elementary and secondary education, in consultation with the department of public health, shall provide guidance and recommendations to assist schools with developing and implementing effective substance use prevention and abuse education policies and shall make such guidance and recommendations publicly available on the department's website. Guidance and recommendations may include educating parents or guardians on recognizing warning signs of substance abuse and providing available resources. Guidance and recommendations shall be reviewed and regularly updated to reflect applicable research and best practices.  Each school district and charter school shall file its substance use prevention and abuse education policies with the department of elementary and secondary education in a manner and form prescribed by the department.