The bill amends section 89 of chapter 71 of the General Laws to allow commonwealth charter schools to voluntarily offer enrollment preferences to high need students. This includes low-income or economically disadvantaged students, English learners or former English learners, and students with disabilities. The new provision specifies that these enrollment preferences can be applied at any time during the school year and will be applicable to both students admitted through the lottery and those admitted from the waitlist.

Additionally, the bill mandates the board of elementary and secondary education to create rules and regulations to implement these provisions. These regulations will define the specific student subgroups eligible for enrollment preferences and outline the process for implementing these preferences. Notably, students experiencing homelessness and those identified as having Emergency Resettlement Status may also be included in the eligible subgroups.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 71-89