Chapter 71

Section 2B. In all public elementary and secondary schools, American Sign Language shall be recognized as a standard, independent language with its own grammar, syntax, vocabulary, and cultural heritage. Courses in American Sign Language may be taught for the purpose of contribut…

Section 2C. Each school district in the commonwealth, subject to appropriation, shall implement a specific policy and discipline code to address teen dating violence in public schools. The policy shall clearly state that dating violence will not be tolerated and shall include gui…

Section 3. Physical education shall be taught as a required subject in all grades for all students in the public schools for the purpose of promoting the physical well-being of such students. Instruction in physical education may include calisthenics, gymnastics and military dril…

Section 30. The president, professors and tutors of the university at Cambridge and of the several colleges, all preceptors and teachers of academies and all other instructors of youth shall exert their best endeavors to impress on the minds of children and youth committed to the…

Section 31. A portion of the Bible shall be read daily in the public schools, without written note or oral comment; but a pupil whose parent or guardian informs the teacher in writing that he has conscientious scruples against it, shall not be required to read from any particular…

Section 31A. The school committee may set appropriate guidelines for the celebration of Christmas and other festivals observed as holidays for the purpose of furthering the educational, cultural and social experiences and development of children.

Section 32. In all the public schools the last regular session, or a portion thereof, prior to the last Monday in May, known as Memorial Day, shall be devoted to patriotic exercises.

Section 32A. Every city, town, regional school district or vocational school district implementing or maintaining curriculum which primarily involves human sexual education or human sexuality issues shall adopt a policy ensuring parental/guardian notification. Such policy shall a…

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 app…

Section 34A. Any person operating or maintaining an educational institution within the commonwealth shall, upon request of any student or former student thereof, furnish to him a written transcript of his record as a student. There shall be no charge for any transcript originally…

Section 34B. In case any person subject to section thirty-four A shall refuse or neglect for thirty days after such request to furnish such a written transcript, the student or former student requesting the same or, if a minor, his guardian or next friend, may present to the supe…

Section 34D. The board of education shall adopt regulations relative to the maintenance, retention, duplication, storage and periodic destruction of student records by the public elementary and secondary schools of the commonwealth. Such rules and regulations shall provide that a…

Section 34E. Each school committee shall, at the request of a parent or guardian of a student, allow such parent or guardian to inspect academic, scholastic, or any other records concerning such student that are kept or are required to be kept, regardless of the age of such stude…

Section 34G. In the event that any private educational institution providing a course of study through the twelfth grade level ceases operation, the owner or administrators shall transfer transcripts of all students or former students to the department of education; provided, how…

Section 34H. (a) Each public elementary and secondary school shall provide student records, including, but not limited to, the following information, in a timely and appropriate manner to the parents of a child enrolled in the school if the parents are eligible for information un…

Section 35. In cities where no other provision is made in the charter thereof, the term of office of members of the school committee shall begin at the same time with that of the members of the city council.

Section 36. The school committee shall appoint a secretary who shall keep a permanent record book, in which all its votes, orders and proceedings shall be recorded.

Section 36A. School committee members, within 1 year after their initial election or appointment, shall complete at least 8 hours of orientation concerning the responsibilities of their office at no cost to individual school committee members. The orientation shall include but no…

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 f…

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 t…

Section 37B. A school committee or a board of trustees of a vocational school may, on a day appointed, which shall be within ninety days of the opening of a school year, enter into a written agreement with any of its employees to purchase or make payments to an individual or grou…

Section 37C. It is hereby declared to be the policy of the commonwealth to encourage all school committees to adopt as educational objectives the promotion of racial balance and the correction of existing racial imbalance in the public schools. The prevention or elimination of ra…

Section 37D. As used in this section, sections thirty-seven C, I, and J, sections one I through one K of chapter fifteen, and section twelve A of chapter seventy-six, the following terms shall, unless the context requires otherwise, have the following meanings: ''Racial imbalance…

Section 37E. The school committee of a city or town may employ legal counsel in connection with collective bargaining with employee organizations for school employees, and may expend money therefor from the funds appropriated by said city or town for school purposes provided, how…

Section 37F. The school committee of a city or town may employ legal counsel for the general purposes of the committee and may expend money therefor from the funds appropriated by said city or town for school purposes. Said legal counsel shall not be subject to the provisions of …

Section 37G. (a) The power of the school committee or of any teacher or any other employee or agent of the school committee to maintain discipline upon school property shall not include the right to inflict corporal punishment upon any pupil. (b) The provisions of this section sh…

Section 37H. The superintendent of every school district shall publish the district's policies pertaining to the conduct of teachers and students. Said policies shall prohibit the use of any tobacco products within the school buildings, the school facilities or on the school grou…

Section 37I. Notwithstanding any contrary provisions of law, including, but not limited to, chapter six hundred forty-five of the acts of nineteen hundred and forty-eight, as amended, the board of education, in this section and section thirty-seven J called the board, may, subjec…

Section 37J. The board of education may, subject to appropriation, reimburse any city, town or regional district for all or part of the cost of providing magnet educational programs within the public schools. Any such reimbursement shall be made only after certification by the bo…

Section 37K. Each school committee may authorize business demonstration projects of an educational nature, to be operated by students as an educational service. Each such project shall be subject to all applicable health, safety and nutritional regulations. Any such project may b…

Section 37L. The school committee of each city, town or regional school district shall inform teachers, administrators, and other professional staff of reporting requirements for child abuse and neglect under section 51A of chapter 119 and the reporting requirements for fires und…

Section 37M. (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter forty-one or chapter seventy-one or any other special or general law to the contrary, any city or town which accepts the provisions of this section may consolidate administrative functions, including but not limited to fi…

Section 37N. Each school committee shall establish a policy concerning student travel sponsored by a school that is planned to occur between the hours of midnight and 6:00 a.m., or that will include an overnight stay away from a student's home. The policy shall address, but not b…

Section 37O. (a) As used in this section the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meaning:- ''Approved private day or residential school'', a school that accepts, through agreement with a school committee, a child requiring spec…

Section 37P. (a) As used in this section the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings: "Chief of police'', the chief of police or the board or officer having control of the police department in a city or town. "Commission''…

Section 37Q. (a) As used in this section the following words shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:— ''Approved private day or residential school'', a school that accepts, through agreement with a school committee, a child requiring spec…

Section 37R. (a) As used in this section the following words shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:— ''School'', a school administered by a school department of a city or town or regional school district, a county agricultural school, a …

Section 38. No school district shall require that an individual reside within the city, town or regional school district as a condition of promotion, assignment, transfer or continued employment as a school teacher, instructional aide, assistant principal, principal, director, su…

Section 38A. The school committee of a town not in an occupational guidance and placement district may employ a director or directors of occupational guidance and placement, approved by the department prior to his or their appointment, and may fix his or their compensation, and a…

Section 38C. Every such director of occupational guidance and placement shall be deemed to be a regularly appointed teacher in the school system of the town by which he is employed, and shall be subject to the provisions of this chapter relating to teachers.

Section 38D. Two or more towns may, by vote of each, form a district for the purpose of employing a director of occupational guidance and placement, who shall annually be appointed by a joint committee composed of the chairman and secretary of the school committee of each of said…

Section 38F. A director of occupational guidance and placement who accepts any commission, fee, compensation or reward of any kind for obtaining a position for any person shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars, and upon conviction his office shall immed…

Section 38G. As used in this section the following words shall have the following meanings: ''Board'', the board of education established by chapter fifteen. ''Military spouse certificate'', a license to teach that the commissioner of education shall issue to a person who is the …