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SD 2876

An Act to reimburse school districts of unforeseen busing costs

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Ed Kennedy

Requires an annual General Court appropriation to DESE to reimburse sending districts for extra busing costs of homeless students housed in shelter communities, starting FY2026.

Referred to the committee on Rules of the two branches, acting concurrently
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Bill Summary · SD 2876

Summary: Senate Bill SD 2876 – An Act to reimburse school districts of unforeseen busing costs

Overview

SD 2876, introduced May 5, 2025 by Senator Edward J. Kennedy, seeks to address unexpected transportation costs borne by school districts when homeless students are housed in communities that host emergency shelters. The bill would require the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to obtain an ongoing appropriation from the General Court to cover these additional transportation costs and reimburse sending districts that house the students.

Purpose and intent

  • Provide state-level funding to offset unforeseen school transportation costs associated with homeless students in communities hosting emergency shelters.
  • Reimburse sending districts that house these homeless students for transportation expenses to their enrolling districts or schools.
  • Ensure funding is available starting fiscal year 2026 and in subsequent years.

Key provisions

  • Notwithstanding existing laws, starting in fiscal year 2026 and in later years, DESE shall annually submit a request to the General Court for an appropriation to cover the “additional cost of school transportation of homeless students” in hosting communities with emergency shelters.
  • The appropriation funds reimbursement to the sending districts housing the homeless students.
  • The clause “Notwithstanding section 7H of chapter 29 of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary” indicates an explicit override to enable this funding mechanism.

Affected parties

  • School districts in communities that host emergency shelters for homeless individuals.
  • Sending districts that house homeless students and incur transportation costs to students’ enrolled schools.
  • Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) as the administering agency.
  • The Commonwealth’s General Court, which would authorize the appropriation.

Timeline and procedural aspects

  • Effective for fiscal year 2026 and for subsequent fiscal years.
  • DESE would annually submit a request to the General Court for appropriation to cover these costs.
  • Status: Referred to the Rules Committee of the two branches, acting concurrently, as of May 5, 2025.

Sponsor

  • Primary sponsor: Edward J. Kennedy.

Considerations and potential questions

  • How “additional cost” is calculated (per student, per district, or measured as a ratio to regular transportation funding)?
  • Whether the appropriation would be formula-driven or discretionary within the General Court.
  • Any reporting, auditing, or eligibility criteria to ensure funds are used for eligible homeless transportation costs.
  • Interaction with existing homeless student transportation funding and other state programs.

This bill aims to stabilize funding for districts affected by homelessness-related busing costs by creating an annual appropriation mechanism administered through DESE, with fiscal year 2026 as the first year of applicability.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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