Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 70, § 6 (2026)

Contributions by municipalities for support of local schools and school district

✓ current as of July 2026

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Section 6. In addition to the amounts appropriated for long-term debt service, school meals, adult education, student transportation and tuition revenue, each municipality shall annually appropriate for the support of public schools in the municipality in an amount not less than the net school spending requirement. Each municipality shall also appropriate not less than its minimum required local contribution for each regional school district to which the municipality belongs.

The commissioner shall estimate and report such amounts to each municipality and regional school district as early as possible, but not later than March 1, for the following fiscal year and shall revise such estimates within 30 days following the enactment of the general appropriations act.

Notwithstanding the terms of any regional school district agreements to the contrary, no regional school district shall be required to submit a budget to its members before receiving the commissioner's initial estimate. Each regional school district budget shall provide for not less than the net school spending requirement. The district may choose to spend additional amounts; provided, however, that such decisions shall be made and such amounts charged to members according to the district's regional agreement.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 6 cases, 1994–2012 · leading case: Town of Dartmouth v. Greater New Bedford Reg'l Vocational Technical High Sch. Dist., 961 N.E.2d 83 (Mass. 2012).

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Town of Dartmouth v. Greater New Bedford Reg'l Vocational Technical High Sch. Dist., 961 N.E.2d 83 (Mass. 2012). · cites it 10× “2 See G. L. c. 70, § 6. Fairhaven filed a cross claim against the school district, the commissioner, and New Bedford, incorporating the averments of Dartmouth’s first amended complaint and, additionally, asserting that the funding obligations imposed by the Education Reform Act…”

Hancock v. Comm'r of Educ., 443 Mass. 428 (Mass. 2005). “G. L. c. 70, § 6. The Commonwealth provides the difference between municipalities’ mandatory funding obligations and their respective foundation budget amounts.”

Town of Holden v. Wachusett Reg'l Sch. Dist. Comm., 840 N.E.2d 37 (Mass. 2005). · cites it 3× “To that end, G. L. c. 70, § 6, provides: “The district may choose to spend additional amounts; such decisions shall be made and such amounts charged to members according to the district’s required agreement.”

Town of Holden v. Wachusett Reg'l Sch. Dist. Comm., 16 Mass. L. Rptr. 112 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2003). · cites it 6× “It states that, “notwithstanding the provisions of any regional school district agreement,” each member town is to appropriate the “minimum regional contribution” as determined by the Commissioner towards the funding of the region, and additional amounts designated by the member…”

Town of Sturbridge v. Tantasqua Reg'l Sch. Dist., 22 Mass. L. Rptr. 68 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2006). · cites it 20× “Sturbridge contends that Tantasqua District’s use of a wealth-based funding scheme established under G.L.c. 70, §6 for the fiscal year of 2005 resulted in higher costs assessed to Sturbridge and constitutes a breach of the District Agreement.”

Ne. Metro. Reg'l Vocational Sch. Dist. v. Dep't of Educ., 2 Mass. L. Rptr. 632 (Mass. Super. Ct. 1994). · cites it 7× “G.L.c. 70, §6, enacted subsequent to G.L.”

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