September 22, 2004
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Joseph Gillis Jr.
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GENERAL LAWS OF MASSACHUSETTS
PART I. = ADMINISTRATION OF THE GOVERNMENT
TITLE XII. = EDUCATION
CHAPTER 71. PUBLIC SCHOOLS
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS Chapter 71: 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.
SCHOOL COMMITTEES Chapter 71: Section 37 Powers and duties
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.
SCHOOL COMMITTEES Chapter 71: 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.
