H544 — An Act to establish the Whole Child Grant Program

Summary

An Act to establish the Whole Child Grant Program

Bill Text

• Full text Current

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This bill establishes the Whole Child Grant Program Fund and outlines a grant program to support the social, emotional, and physical wellbeing of students and educators in public school districts.

• Chapter 29

  Whole Child Grant Program Fund (a) There is hereby established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate fund, to be administered by the department of elementary and secondary education, which shall be known as the Whole Child Grant Program Fund. The fund shall be credited with: (i) appropriations, bond proceeds or other money authorized or transferred by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (ii) funds from public and private sources, including, but not limited to gifts, grants and donations; and (iii) any interest earned on such money. Amounts credited to the fund shall not be subject to further appropriation and any money remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund and shall remain available for purposes pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section.

  This change creates a new fund specifically for the Whole Child Grant Program, allowing for dedicated financial resources.

• Chapter 29

  (b) Amounts credited to the fund shall be used, without further appropriation, to administer and fund the Whole Child Grant Program established pursuant to section 100 of chapter 71 of the general laws. If the funds in this account are insufficient to fully fund the grant, the department of elementary and secondary education shall submit to the house and senate committees on ways and means a request for an additional appropriation to fully fund the grant.

  This establishes guidelines for the use of funds from the Whole Child Grant Program Fund to support its objectives.

• Chapter 29

  (c) Annually, not later than October 1, the department of elementary and secondary education shall report to the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, the joint committee on education and the house and senate committees on ways and means on the fund’s activities. The report shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the source and amount of funds received; (ii) the expenditures made from the fund; and (iii) the anticipated funding obligation for the next fiscal year. The report shall be publicly available on the department's website.

  This mandates annual reporting on the activities of the Whole Child Grant Program Fund to ensure transparency and accountability.

• Chapter 71

  Section 100. (a) The department shall, subject to appropriation, establish and administer a grant program, to be known as the Whole Child Grant Program, for the purpose of providing public school districts, as defined in Section 2 of chapter 70 of the general laws, with funds to support the social, emotional and physical wellbeing of students and educators.

  This establishes the Whole Child Grant Program, aimed at providing targeted funding to enhance student and educator wellbeing.

• Chapter 71

  (b) The department shall, subject to the approval of the board, promulgate regulations governing the grant program.

  This requires the creation of regulations for the administration of the Whole Child Grant Program.

• Chapter 71

  (1) Eligible uses of grant funds shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (i) hiring one or more school nurses...; (ii) adopting the Massachusetts Model 3.0: A Framework for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs...

  This stipulates specific eligible uses for grant funds to ensure they support the intended objectives.

• Chapter 71

  (2) As a condition for receiving grants under this section, the department shall require school districts to submit a plan that details how grant funds will be allocated... School districts shall agree to use the grant funds to supplement, not supplant, existing district funding for personnel and programs.

  This establishes requirements for districts to ensure effective allocation of grant funds without displacing existing funding.

• Chapter 71

  (3) The department shall establish and administer an annual reporting process to monitor whether a school district has met or is making reasonable progress toward the stated purpose or purposes for the grant funding that are outlined in its plan.

  This introduces an accountability mechanism for districts to report on their progress regarding grant funding.

• Chapter 71

  (c) The department shall disburse funds to school districts on a per-pupil basis in accordance with the following formula: $150 per pupil for districts in which 20 percent or more of the students are designated as low-income...

  This establishes a formula for distributing grant funds based on the percentage of low-income students in each district.

Sponsors

• Marjorie C. Decker · Primary

Subjects