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Mass. bill would impose three-year wait after department denies charter expansion
Summary
Representatives Richard M. Haggerty and Sean Reid filed House No. 593 on Jan. 17, 2025, proposing an amendment to Section 89 of chapter 71 that would require a three-year waiting period before a charter school may reapply to expand the number of school districts in its charter after the department denies such an amendment.
Representatives Richard M. Haggerty and Sean Reid filed legislation on Jan. 17, 2025, that would require a three-year waiting period before a charter school may reapply to amend its charter to add additional school districts if “the department” denies an earlier request.
The bill, filed in the House as House No. 593 and titled “An Act relative to charter school expansion,” would insert a new subsection after subsection (ll) of Section 89 in chapter 71 of the General Laws. Under the proposal, if the department rejects a charter school’s request to expand the number of school districts specified in its charter, the charter school would have to wait three years before filing another amendment request for that purpose.
Why it matters: The change would alter the timeline available to charter schools seeking to expand the geographic scope of their charters. The filing does not specify which department is meant beyond the statutory phrasing “the department,” nor does it state procedural details such as whether waivers or appeals would be available.
Details of the filing: The bill text shows the new subsection would be numbered (ll1/2) and reads that a three-year waiting period is required after a denial of a request “for the purposes of expanding the number of school districts specified in said charter.” The filing lists Representative Richard M. Haggerty of Woburn as the primary petitioner (30th Middlesex) and adds Representative Sean Reid (11th Essex) as an additional petitioner on March 6, 2025. The filing also notes that the subject matter is categorized under Education.
Procedural status and next steps: The document in the House docket is a petition and statutory amendment text; it does not record committee referral actions, hearings, votes, or any departmental response. The filing does not specify a timeline for committee consideration, hearings, or votes.
Who it affects: The proposal would apply to charter schools and the school districts referenced in their charters across Massachusetts. The filing does not provide estimates of how many charters would be affected or identify specific schools or districts.
Background: The bill packet references the 2022 Official Edition of the General Laws and proposes amending Section 89 of chapter 71, the statute that governs charter schools and related procedures. The cover notes that similar matter appeared as House No. 4305 in the 2023–2024 session.
The filing contains the proposed statutory language and sponsor information but does not include commentary from the sponsors, departmental analysis, fiscal notes, or records of public comment.
