Section 64 Foundation Budget Review Commission 1

Chapter 70 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 4, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-
Section 4. (a) Upon action of the general court, there shall be a foundation budget review commission to review the way foundation budgets are calculated and to make recommendations for potential changes in those calculations as the commission deems appropriate for prekindergarten to grade 12, inclusive; provided, however, that the commission shall be established not less than every 10 years. The commission shall seek to determine the educational programs and services necessary to achieve the commonwealth's educational goals and to prepare students to achieve passing scores on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System examinations. The review shall include, but not be limited to, components of the foundation budget created pursuant to section 3 and subsequent changes made to the foundation budget by law. The commission shall seek to determine and recommend measures to promote the adoption of ways in which resources can be most effectively utilized and consider various models of efficient and effective resource allocation. In conducting the review, the commissioner of elementary and secondary education and the commissioner of revenue shall provide to the commission any data and information the commissioners consider relevant to the commission's charge.
(b) Members of the commission shall consist of: the senate and house chairs of the joint committee on education, who shall serve as co-chairs; the secretary of education, or a designee; the commissioner of elementary and secondary education, or a designee; the commissioner of early education and care, or a designee; the secretary of administration and finance, or a designee; a representative from the department of revenue's division of local services; the speaker of the house of representatives, or a designee; the president of the senate, or a designee; the minority leader of the house of representatives, or a designee; the minority leader of the senate, or a designee; the governor, or a designee; the chair of the senate committee on ways and means, or a designee; the chair of the house committee on ways and means, or a designee; the director of rural affairs of the executive office of economic development, or a designee; the president of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, Inc.; the executive director of the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, Inc.; the president of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, Inc.; the president of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, Inc.; the executive director of the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association, Inc.; the president of the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts; the executive director of the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators, Inc.; the president of the Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools, Inc.; the president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation; the executive director of the Tufts University's Center for State Policy Analysis; the president of the Massachusetts Association of School Business Officials; president and chief executive officer of The Massachusetts Business Roundtable, Inc.; and 1 member to be appointed by the governor who shall have experience in elementary and secondary education finance or municipal finance in the commonwealth.
(c) Members of the commission shall receive no compensation for their services but may be reimbursed for the reasonable expenses incurred in carrying out their responsibilities as members of the commission. The commissioner of elementary and secondary education shall furnish staff and other support for the work of the commission. It shall not constitute a violation of chapter 268A for a person employed by a school district to serve on the commission or to participate in commission deliberations that may have a financial impact on the district employing that person or on the rate at which that person may be compensated. The commission may establish procedures to ensure that no such person participates in commission deliberations that may directly affect the school districts employing any such person or that may directly affect the rate at which any such person is compensated.
(d) Prior to issuing its recommendations, the commission shall conduct at least 4 public hearings across geographically diverse regions of the commonwealth. The commission shall file its report with findings and recommendations, including any legislative or regulatory changes that may be necessary to implement its recommendations, by filing the same with the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, the house and senate committees on ways and means; and the joint committee on education. The report shall be made publicly available on the website of the department of elementary and secondary education.