Regional School District Organization

Laws and regulations:

• MGL, chapter 71, section 14-16I -- governs all regional districts

• MGL, chapter 74 -- governs vocational programs

• ESE regulations on regional districts:

  • 603 CMR 41.00

  • Amendments to Regional School District Regulations

• Guidance for Regional School Districts:  

Professional organizations:

• MARS: Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools

• MAVA: Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators

• MASC: Massachusetts Association of School Committees

Formation and amendments:

MGL c.71, s.14B outlines the process for establishing and amending a regional school district agreement. All regional school district agreements and amendments to those agreements must be approved by the Commissioner of Education in accordance with the law and regulation noted above. Communities interested in forming a regional school district or regional school districts interested in amending their regional school district agreement or admitting a new member should contact Christine M. Lynch by e-mail at clynch@doe.mass.edu or by phone at 781-338-6520.

Amendment Process:

• A complete copy of the latest approved agreement and any proposed amendments should be submitted to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for review prior to receiving local approval.

• All amendments will be reviewed for compliance with the one-person one vote ruling and all other applicable laws.

• Final approval will be subject to legal approval and receipt of all authorized local votes.

• Amendments will be effective on July 1 of any year unless otherwise agreed to during the review process.

Information and Statistics:

• Listing of Regional School Districts

  •   Academic Regions

  •   Vocational Regions

•   School district organization fact sheet

Superintendency Unions

Chapter 71, Section 61 (http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/71-61.htm.) of the Massachusetts General Laws allows the school committees of two or more towns to join together to form a union school committee. The organization of the union school committee is governed by statute, as are its powers, which are limited to the authority to employ a superintendent of schools, school physicians, school nurses, clerical and secretarial personnel, special teachers, and supervisors. All other powers and responsibilities are retained by the local school committees of the member towns. There are 16 superintendency unions in Massachusetts, comprised of 49 member towns. Currently, 33 of the municipal districts participating in superintendency unions also are members of regional school districts that hire the same superintendent and central office staff. Superintendency unions provide an option for small school districts to share the salary expenses of central office staff. For information on Superintendency Unions, contact Christine M. Lynch at 781-338-6520 or at clynch@doe.mass.edu.

  Article on Superintendency Unions

Tuitioning Arrangements

In accordance with provisions of Chapter 71, sections 1, 4 and 6, the following list of public school districts are permitted by the Board of Education not to maintain certain public schools and to tuition their students to other school districts for the school year 2006-2007 .

  List of Towns approved to tuition certain grade levels of students to other school districts.