reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 71 § 26c (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 26c - Extended School Services for Children; Contributions and Federal Funds; Use

Section 26C. The commonwealth and the school committee may accept funds from the federal government for the purposes of sections 26A to 26D, inclusive. The school committee may receive contributions in the form of money, material, quarters or services for the purposes of the sections from organizations, employers and other individuals. The contributions received in the form of money, together with fees from parents and any allotments received from the federal government for said purposes, shall be deposited with the treasurer of such city, town or regional school district and held as a separate account and expended by said school committee without appropriation, notwithstanding section 53 of chapter 44.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 26d (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 26d - Borrowing in Anticipation of Federal Funds

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 be used with funds which may be provided in said town for the purposes of sections twenty-six A to twenty-six F, inclusive, and said town shall be required primarily to pay that portion of the expenses for which reimbursement is to be received from the grant, the treasurer of such town, with the approval of the mayor, or of the city manager, if any, or of the selectmen, as the case may be, in anticipation of the receipt of the proceeds of such grant, may incur debt, outside the debt limit, to an amount not exceeding the amount of the grant as shown by the agreement, and may issue notes therefor, payable in not exceeding one year from their dates. Any loan so issued for a shorter period than one year may be refunded by the issue of other notes maturing within the required period; provided, that the period from the date of issue of the original loan to the date of maturity of the refunding loan shall not be more than one year. The proceeds of the grant, so far as necessary, shall be applied to the discharge of the loan.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 27 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 27 - Lectures

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 the titles and authors of books of reference on the subject matter of said lectures contained in the local public libraries.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 28 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 28 - Summer Schools

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 shall not be compulsory or be considered as a part of the school attendance required by law.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 30 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 30 - Moral Education

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 of youth shall exert their best endeavors to impress on the minds of children and youth committed to their care and instruction the principles of piety and justice and a sacred regard for truth, love of their country, humanity and universal benevolence, sobriety, industry and frugality, chastity, moderation and temperance, and those other virtues which are the ornament of human society and the basis upon which a republican constitution is founded; and they shall endeavor to lead their pupils, as their ages and capacities will admit, into a clear understanding of the tendency of the above mentioned virtues to preserve and perfect a republican constitution and secure the blessings of liberty as well as to promote their future happiness, and also to point out to them the evil tendency of the opposite vices.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 31 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 31 - Bible Reading

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 guardian informs the teacher in writing that he has conscientious scruples against it, shall not be required to read from any particular version, or to take any personal part in the reading. The school committee shall not purchase or use in the public schools school books favoring the tenets of any particular religious sect.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 31a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 31a - Guidelines for Celebration of Holidays Authorized

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, cultural and social experiences and development of children.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 32 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 32 - Observance of Memorial Day

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 be devoted to patriotic exercises.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 32a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 32a - Sex Education; Policy Regarding Notice to Parents, Exception

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 adopt a policy ensuring parental/guardian notification. Such policy shall afford parents or guardians the flexibility to exempt their children from any portion of said curriculum through written notification to the school principal. No child so exempted shall be penalized by reason of such exemption.  Said policy shall be in writing, formally adopted by the school committee as a school district policy and distributed by September first, nineteen hundred and ninety-seven, and each year thereafter to each principal in the district. A copy of each school district's policy must be sent to the department of education after adoption.  To the extent practicable, program instruction materials for said curricula shall be made reasonably accessible to parents, guardians, educators, school administrators, and others for inspection and review.  The department of education shall promulgate regulations for adjudicatory proceedings to resolve any and all disputes arising under this section.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 34 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 34 - Support of Schools; Appropriations; Recommendations

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 however, that no city or town shall be required to provide more money for the support of the public schools than is appropriated by vote of the legislative body of the city or town. In acting on appropriations for educational costs, the city or town appropriating body shall vote on the total amount of the appropriations requested and shall not allocate appropriations among accounts or place any restriction on such appropriations. The superintendent of schools in any city or town may address the local appropriating authority prior to any action on the school budget as recommended by the school committee notwithstanding his place of residence. The city or town appropriating body may make nonbinding monetary recommendations to increase or decrease certain items allocating such appropriations.  The vote of the legislative body of a city or town shall establish the total appropriation for the support of the public schools, but may not limit the authority of the school committee to determine expenditures within the total appropriation.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 34a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 34a - Transcript of Student's Record; Availability

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 written transcript of his record as a student. There shall be no charge for any transcript originally furnished by any such person hereunder, but for any duplicate or additional transcript furnished hereunder a charge of not exceeding one dollar for each page, but not exceeding five dollars for an entire transcript, may be made by such person.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 34b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 34b - Remedy for Failure to Furnish Transcript of Student's Record

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, the student or former student requesting the same or, if a minor, his guardian or next friend, may present to the superior court for the county within which such person so subject resides or such institution is located, or for the county of Suffolk, a petition addressed to said court and praying for such relief as it may deem proper in the circumstances; and thereupon such court shall have jurisdiction of such petition and may issue such orders relative thereto as it may deem proper, and any failure or refusal to obey any such order may be treated by the court as a contempt thereof. Upon any such petition the court may award costs and reasonable attorney's fees to the petitioner.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 34d (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 34d - Student Records; Maintenance, Storage, Destruction, etc.; Inspection by Parent or Guardian

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 secondary schools of the commonwealth. Such rules and regulations shall provide that a parent or guardian of any pupil shall be allowed to inspect academic, scholastic, or any other records concerning such pupil which are kept or are required to be kept.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 34e (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 34e - Inspection of Student Records; Persons Authorized

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 any other records concerning such student that are kept or are required to be kept, regardless of the age of such student. Each school committee shall, at the request of a student eighteen years of age or older, allow such student complete access to all school records relative to him or her.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 34g (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 34g - Private Schools; Transfer of Transcripts Upon Ceasing Operation

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 transfer transcripts of all students or former students to the department of education; provided, however, that in the case of a student who is transferring to another private or public educational institution, such student's records shall be transferred to the school the student will be attending, rather than to the department. The department may, upon request of a former student of an educational institution which has transferred transcripts pursuant to this provision, provide such student with a copy of his transcript. For the purposes of this section a transcript shall mean the documentary record or records which contain the name, address and phone number of the student, the student's birthdate, name, address and phone number of parent or guardian, course titles, grades, or equivalent thereof when grades are not applicable, course credit, grade level completed and the year completed. Said educational institution shall limit the student record information transmitted to the department to that required to be contained in the transcript.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 35 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 35 - Beginning of Term

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 the same time with that of the members of the city council.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 36 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 36 - Secretary; Appointment; Duties

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.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 36a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 36a - Orientation for School Committee Members

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 office at no cost to individual school committee members. The orientation shall include but not be limited to a review of school finance, the open meeting law, public records law, conflict of interest law, special education law, collective bargaining, school leadership standards and evaluations and the roles and responsibilities of school committee members. The orientation shall be provided by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, Inc. or any other entity approved by the commissioner of education after consulting the association. The Association and any other entity providing such orientation shall offer every year at least 2 orientation sessions at no required cost to eligible school committees. A certificate shall be awarded to each participant upon completion of the orientation and notice thereof shall be filed with the clerk of the city or town where the school committee member resides.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 37 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 37 - Powers and Duties; Superintendent Serving Joint Districts

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 review and approve budgets for public education in the district, and shall establish educational goals and policies for the schools in the district consistent with the requirements of law and statewide goals and standards established by the board of education. The school committee in each city, town and regional school district may select a superintendent jointly with other school committees and the superintendent shall serve as the superintendent of all of the districts that selected him.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 37a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 37a - Grants; Acceptance and Disbursement

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 governments or agencies thereof, charitable foundations and private corporations and disburse the same for such purposes. Any amounts so received by a school committee of a city or town shall be deposited with the treasurer of such city or town and held as a separate account, and expended by said school committee without further appropriation, notwithstanding the provisions of section fifty-three of chapter forty-four. Any amounts so received by a regional district school committee shall be deposited with the treasurer of such regional school district and held as a separate account and expended by said committee.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 37c (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 37c - Promotion of Racial Balance

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 balance and the correction of existing racial imbalance in the public schools. The prevention or elimination of racial imbalance shall be an objective in all decisions involving the drawing or altering of school attendance lines, establishing of grade levels, and the selection of new school sites.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 37e (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 37e - Legal Counsel for Collective Bargaining

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 expend money therefor from the funds appropriated by said city or town for school purposes provided, however, that no such money shall be expended in excess of twenty-five thousand dollars without the prior approval of the mayor, the city manager in a city having Plan D or Plan E form of government, or the board of selectmen. Said legal counsel shall not be subject to the provisions of section nine A of chapter thirty or the provisions of chapter thirty-one.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 37f (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 37f - Legal Counsel for General Purposes

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 the funds appropriated by said city or town for school purposes. Said legal counsel shall not be subject to the provisions of section nine A of chapter thirty or the provisions of chapter thirty-one.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 37g (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 37g - Corporal Punishment of Pupils Prohibited; Use of Physical Restraint; Regulations

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 school property shall not include the right to inflict corporal punishment upon any pupil.  (b) The provisions of this section shall not preclude any member of the school committee or any teacher or any employee or agent of the school committee from using such reasonable force as is necessary to protect pupils, other persons, and themselves from an assault by a pupil. When such an assault has occurred, the principal shall file a detailed report of such with the school committee.  (c) The board of education shall promulgate regulations regarding the use of physical restraint for students. Such regulations shall not preclude any teacher or employee or agent of the school from using reasonable force to protect pupils, other persons and themselves from an assault by a pupil as set forth above in section (b). Such regulations shall require training of all personnel authorized to administer any forms of restraint. Such regulations shall provide for procedures for notification to the department and to the parents.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 37j (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 37j - Magnet Educational Programs; Reimbursement for Cost; Definition; Contracts; Joining Programs

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 educational programs within the public schools. Any such reimbursement shall be made only after certification by the board that such cost actually has been incurred, that such cost is reasonable, and that such program has met such requirements.  For the purpose of this section, the term ''magnet educational program'' shall mean educational measures including, but not limited to, planning and special services, instruction, or treatment of children, whether at the public schools or other public or private facility or place, which meet such requirements as may be established by the board for the purpose of providing such children with racially balanced educational experiences.  The board of education may contract with any other public or private facility for the purpose of purchasing magnet educational programs. Any city, town or regional district wanting to join in such a program shall so request the board in writing. The board shall approve all requests that meet the requirements as may be established. Any such contracts must be approved by a majority of the board provided that such cost is reasonable.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 37k (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 37k - Business Demonstration Projects; Disposition of Proceeds

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 be subject to all applicable health, safety and nutritional regulations.  Any such project may be operated independently of any other department or program in the school in which such project is operated. The net proceeds, after all expenses have been deducted, of any sale of food by any such project shall be transferred each month to the school lunch or food service account for the school in which such project is operated. Any such project serving food to a daily average of more than ten per cent of the students in the school, in which such project is located, in any given month, shall, during the remainder of the school year, be governed by the regulations of the school lunch program.