Mass. Gen. Laws » Part I Title XII Chapter 71B
Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 71B, § 5 (2026)

Costs or obligations; payment; budget

✓ current as of July 2026
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Section 5. Any school committee which provides or arranges for the provision of special education pursuant to the provisions of section three shall pay for such special education personnel, materials and equipment, tuition, room and board, transportation, rent and consultant services as are necessary for the provision of special education; provided, however, that the school committee shall not be obligated to pay for health care goods or services to the extent that such goods or services constitute medically necessary treatment for disease, illness, injury, or bodily dysfunction which would be covered by a third party payor but for a school-aged child's eligibility for such goods and services under this chapter; provided, further, that the determination of medical necessity shall be made by the third party payor under its standard program of utilization review, that the school-aged child with a disability or his parent or guardian if he is a minor shall have the right to freedom of choice in the election of the provider of health care goods and services, and that the provider of health care goods and services does not have a direct or indirect financial relationship to the school committee; and provided, further, that school committees may accept payment for health care goods and services provided by certified school committee employees from third party payors other than the program of medical care and assistance established under chapter one hundred and eighteen E except as provided under section seventy-two of chapter forty-four. Where no such third party payor is available, school committees are not relieved of their responsibilities under this chapter.

Notwithstanding the provisions of section 27C of chapter 29 or any other general or special law to the contrary, if a child with a disability for whom a school committee currently provides or arranges for the provision of special education in an approved private day or residential school placement, including placement in a pediatric nursing home pursuant to the provisions of section 3, or his parent or guardian moves to a different school district on or after July 1 of any fiscal year, such school committee of the former community of residence shall pay the approved budgeted costs, including necessary transportation costs, of such day or residential placement, including placement in a pediatric nursing home, of such child for the balance of such fiscal year; provided, however, that if such move occurs between April 1 and June 30, such school committee of the former community of residence shall pay such costs for the balance of the fiscal year in which the move occurred as well as for the subsequent fiscal year. The school committee of the new community of residence shall assume all responsibilities for reviewing the child's progress, monitoring the effectiveness of the placement, and reevaluating the child's needs from the date of new residence; provided, however, that during the period when the financial obligation of the former community of residence for such day or residential placement continues pursuant to this section, the school committee of such new community of residence shall provide the school committee of the former community of residence with notice of any such review, monitoring, and reevaluation, and an opportunity to participate; and provided, further, that the school committee of such new community of residence shall be financially responsive for any increase, and the obligation of the school committee of such former community of residence shall be reduced by any decrease, in the costs of such day or residential placement during such period which results from any such review, monitoring or reevaluation.

A school committee which incurs costs or obligations under the provision of this section shall include within its annual budget an amount of money to comply with said provisions. Said amount shall be added to the annual budget appropriation for school purposes in each city or town for the support of public schools for the purposes of, and enforceable pursuant to, section thirty-four of chapter seventy-one, notwithstanding any general or special laws or charter provisions which limit the amount of money that may be appropriated in any city or town for school purposes.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 16 cases, 1978–2010 · leading case: Sch. Comm. of Boston v. Boston, 421 N.E.2d 1187 (Mass. 1981).
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Sch. Comm. of Boston v. Boston, 421 N.E.2d 1187 (Mass. 1981). · cites it 18× “At issue is whether the city’s obligation under G. L. c. 71B, § 5, to provide funding for special education is limited by the Boston public school financing scheme set forth in St.”
Commonwealth v. Sch. Comm. of Springfield, 417 N.E.2d 408 (Mass. 1981). · cites it 2× “G. L. c. 71B, §§ 5, 10. See 603 Code Mass.”
Amherst-Pelham Reg'l Sch. Comm. v. Dep't of Educ., 381 N.E.2d 922 (Mass. 1978). “First, the school committee has made no showing through evidence that funds were unavailable to it to pay for special educational services for this child.”
Boston Teachers Union v. Sch. Comm., 434 N.E.2d 1258 (Mass. 1982). “693 (1981), we held that the city’s obligation under G. L. c. 71B, § 5, to provide funding for special education does not require the Boston city council to appropriate funds in addition to the funds that may be appropriated by the school committee pursuant to St.”
Civetti v. Comm'r of Pub. Welfare, 467 N.E.2d 101 (Mass. 1984). “16 See G. L. c. 71B, § 5. See also 42 U.S.C. § 606 (a)(2)(B) (Supp.”
Boston v. Bd. of Educ., 467 N.E.2d 1318 (Mass. 1984). “[5] We note that the Legislature has modified the language of G.L.c. 71B, § 5, in St. 1981, c. 351, § 123, and St.”
McCarthy v. Comm'r of Pub. Welfare, 396 N.E.2d 159 (Mass. App. Ct. 1979). “766 (G. L. c. 71B, § 5), their special education expenses were being paid for by reason of public funds through a school committee.”
Bd. of Educ. v. BOSTON COMMONWEALTH, 434 N.E.2d 1224 (Mass. 1982). “12 The school committee, pursuant to the advice of its attorney, expended its funds at a rate which assumed its conclusion that funding for special needs programs under G. L. c. 71B, § 5, was not included in its St.”
City of Salem v. Bureau of Special Educ. Appeals, 829 N.E.2d 641 (Mass. 2005). “Salem contends that the bureau’s retroactive imposition on it of programmatic and fiscal responsibility for the child’s special education and related services violates the second paragraph of G. L. c. 71B, § 5, known as the “move-in law.”
City of Boston v. Bd. of Educ., 392 Mass. 788 (Mass. 1984). “We note that the Legislature has modified the language of G. L. c. 71B, § 5, in St. 1981, c. 351, § 123, and St.”
George H. & Irene L. Walker Home for Child., Inc. v. Town of Franklin, 621 N.E.2d 376 (Mass. 1993). “The language of G. L. c. 71B, § 5, was modified by St. 1981, c.”
Keene ex rel. Keene v. Brigham & Women's Hosp., Inc., 11 Mass. L. Rptr. 545 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2000). · cites it 3× “The costs of Dylan’s educational placement at the Boston College Campus School, along with therapies provided there, transportation to and from the school, and the costs of the nurse who accompanies Dylan to school and attends to him throughout the school day, are covered by his…”
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