Bill
SD 2140
Requires annual public reporting of school/district segregation and funds a diversity/integration grant program to help districts diversify student populations.
Status: House concurred | Introduced: February 27, 2025 | Similar matter previously filed: Senate No. 252 (2023-2024)
Purpose and intent
- The bill seeks to promote racially integrated schools in Massachusetts by requiring systematic data collection and reporting on school and district segregation, and by establishing a grant program to support efforts to increase racial diversity and reduce segregation in public schools.
Key provisions
1) School segregation data collection and public reporting
- Enacts new Section 37 to Chapter 69, creating standardized definitions and annual reporting requirements for all public schools and districts.
- Definitions (examples):
- Diverse school: no single racial subgroup exceeds 70% of the student body, and at least 25% of students are White.
- Diverse district: same 70%/25% thresholds applied at the district level.
- Intensely segregated school/district: 90%+ of a single racial subgroup or White students are ≤10%.
- Racially disproportionate school: White student share differs by at least 15 percentage points from the district; or a school with <25% White students and a racial subgroup differs by ≥15 percentage points from the district.
- Segregated school/district: does not meet the diverse or intensely segregated criteria.
- Annual reporting by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) must include:
- Classification of each school as diverse, segregated, or intensely segregated, plus a measurable school-level segregation metric.
- Classification of each district as diverse, segregated, or intensely segregated, plus a district-level segregation metric.
- Identification of racially disproportionate schools and intradistrict segregation measures.
- Comparisons of racial composition of total student populations to SAT/ACT completers.
- Comparisons of racial composition to enrollment in advanced coursework and targeted programs (AP, chemistry, biology, geometry, calculus, eighth-grade algebra, advanced math, gifted and talented, early college pathways).
- Data reporting may include limits to protect student identities or ensure data integrity, if necessary and consistent with DESE policies.
2) School Integration Grant Program
- Creates the School Diversity and Integration Grant Program (subject to appropriation) to fund strategies that combat segregation by increasing student diversity.
- Eligible entities: public school districts or regional consortia with significant achievement gaps or racial segregation within/between served districts.
- Funding use:
- DESE may reserve up to 10% of appropriated funds for research, data collection, evaluation, dissemination of best practices, and technical assistance for narrowly tailored plans to achieve diversity.
- Grant structure (competitive):
- Planning grants (not more than 1 year) and/or implementation grants.
- Planning grant requirements include:
- A comprehensive geographic assessment of educational outcomes and racial segregation.
- Analysis of facilities, transportation, housing diversity, and zoning practices.
- A robust family, student, and community engagement plan, including meaningful public forums to inform strategy development.
- Although not fully shown in the excerpt, the program contemplates activities to support districts in implementing and evaluating diversity-enhancing strategies.
Impact and timing considerations
- The bill aims to create a data-driven framework for identifying segregation patterns and to channel funding to districts seeking to diversify student populations.
- By requiring annual reporting and establishing grant support, the measure would affect DESE, school districts, and consortia, with potential implications for planning, facilities, housing, transportation, and district policies.
Legislative context
- The bill was filed in the Senate as Senate No. 324 (Senate Docket No. 2140) by Senator Brendan P. Crighton.
- The measure progressed to the House, where the House concurred on February 27, 2025, following referral to the Committee on Education at introduction.
Notes
- The bill references a similar matter in the 2023-2024 session (Senate No. 252), indicating ongoing legislative attention to school integration efforts.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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