SCHOOL REGISTERS AND RETURNS

M.G.L. pt. Part I, tit. Title XII, ch. c. 72

in effect

M.G.L. c. 72, § 1 Distribution of forms

c. 72, § 1. Distribution of forms Section 1. The commissioner of education shall prepare and send forms for the registration of minors required by section two, the school registers, blank forms for school returns required by section three, and the annual report of the department of education, as soon as ready for distribution, to the superintendent of schools of each town, who shall, on receipt thereof, deliver them to the several persons charged with duties in connection therewith, and send to the commissioner a list of the private schools in such town and the names of their principals. If said superintendent does not receive said forms on or before July fifth, he shall forthwith notify the commissioner who shall thereupon transmit them to him. The commissioner shall also send the report of the department to the chairman of each school committee.

M.G.L. c. 72, § 2 Registration of children; reports

c. 72, § 2. Registration of children; reports Section 2. The school committee of each town shall ascertain and record the names, ages and such other information as may be required by the department of education, of all minors residing therein between five and sixteen, and of all minors over sixteen who do not meet the requirements for the completion of the sixth grade of the public schools of the town where he resides. The school committee of each town shall also ascertain the number of pupils, regardless of age, whose parents or guardians are residents of the town and who are enrolled for full-time attendance, in kindergarten and grades up to and including grade twelve, in public and vocational schools and classes in the commonwealth and nonpublic schools anywhere. Whoever, in control of any such minor, withholds information sought by a school committee or its agents under this section or makes a false statement relative thereto, shall be punished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars. Supervisors of attendance, under the direction of the committee and superintendent of schools, shall have charge of the records required by this section, shall be responsible for their completeness and accuracy, and shall receive the co-operation of principals, teachers and supervisory officers in the discharge of their duties hereunder. A card, as prescribed by the department, shall be kept for every child whose name is recorded hereunder. Supervisors of attendance shall compare the names of children enrolled in the public and private schools with the names of those recorded as required herein, and examine carefully into all cases where children of school age are not enrolled in, and attending school, as required by section one of chapter seventy-six. The annual school committee report shall set forth the number of children recorded as herein required, classified by ages, together with the number attending public or private schools, and the number not attending school, in any given year. The supervisory officers of all private schools shall, within thirty days after the enrollment or registration of any child of compulsory school age, report his name, age and residence to the superintendent of schools of the town where the child resides; and whenever a child withdraws from a private school, such officers shall, within ten days, notify said superintendent.

M.G.L. c. 72, § 2A Annual reports of superintendents of schools; contents

c. 72, § 2A. Annual reports of superintendents of schools; contents Section 2A. The superintendent of schools of each town shall file annually on or before May first with the commissioner of education, on forms provided by the department of education, a sworn statement reporting the number of pupils whose parents or guardians were residents of the town and who were enrolled on the preceding January first for full-time attendance in the following schools and classes, respectively, including kindergarten and grades one through twelve:— First. Pupils in schools and classes in the town under the control of the school committee, excluding pupils in schools and classes of regional school districts. Second. Pupils in schools and classes of a regional school district which includes the town. Third. Pupils in schools and classes elsewhere in the commonwealth under the control of school committees. Fourth. Pupils in vocational schools and classes in the town under the control of the local trustees of vocational education, excluding pupils in vocational schools and classes under the control of district trustees for vocational education. Fifth. Pupils in vocational schools and classes under the control of district trustees for vocational education in a district which includes the town. Sixth. Pupils in vocational or other schools and classes elsewhere in the commonwealth which are supported by public funds. Seventh. Pupils in nonpublic schools anywhere. Such information shall be collected during the months of January and February. Before filing said statement, the superintendent shall submit it to the chairman of the school committee, who shall countersign it on oath, if after examination, he finds it correct. In any city or town wherein a twelve-month school year has been adopted, the enrollment on the preceding January first, as aforesaid, shall include all of said pupils attending public schools, notwithstanding that their actual date of enrollment is subsequent to said January first.

M.G.L. c. 72, § 3 School returns; contents

c. 72, § 3. School returns; contents Section 3. The superintendent of schools shall annually on or before September fifteenth transmit the school returns to the commissioner, signed and sworn to by him, containing the following information together with any other information required by the commissioner in accordance with section one of chapter sixty-nine:— First. The average daily membership of the public and vocational schools of the town for the school year last preceding the date of said certificate as determined under section eight. Second. The amount of money raised by taxation by the town and expended during the fiscal year last preceding said date for the support of public schools, including the wages of teachers, and transportation of children, or board in place thereof, fuel, the care of fires, schoolrooms and school premises, repairs, supervision, textbooks and supplies, and school sundries or incidentals, but excluding alterations of school buildings, other than repairs, and construction of schoolhouses and contributions for, and reimbursements on account of, the support of public schools from the commonwealth or from other sources than local taxation; and the total expenditures, classified, for the public schools during the school year last preceding said date. Third. That the town has maintained during the school year last preceding the said date each of its schools, as required by section one of chapter seventy-one, for a period of not less than one hundred and eighty days, or for what shorter period one or more schools have been maintained, if specifically exempted by the department. Fourth. That the town has, during said school year, complied with said chapter seventy-one in the matter of school instruction, and the number of days schools were in session. Before filing said school returns, the superintendent shall submit them to the chairman of the school committee, who shall countersign them on oath, if, after examination, he finds them correct.

M.G.L. c. 72, § 4 Report of condition of schools

c. 72, § 4. Report of condition of schools Section 4. The committee shall annually make a detailed report of the condition of the public schools, containing such statements or suggestions relative thereto as it considers necessary or proper. It shall cause said report to be printed, for the use of the inhabitants, in octavo, pamphlet form, of the size of the annual reports of the department. The superintendent of schools shall transmit two copies thereof to the commissioner on or before April thirtieth, and shall deposit one copy in the office of the town clerk.

M.G.L. c. 72, § 5 Procedure on failure to file reports or returns; irregular returns

c. 72, § 5. Procedure on failure to file reports or returns; irregular returns Section 5. If a superintendent of schools fails, within the prescribed time, to make both the returns and the report required by law, the commissioner shall forthwith notify the chairman of the school committee thereof, and he shall immediately transmit the same to him. If a return is found to be irregular or incorrect, the commissioner shall forthwith return it for correction, with a statement of all deficiencies therein, to the committee or its agent, who shall promptly correct and return it.

M.G.L. c. 72, § 6 Extension of time to file reports and returns; penalties for failure to file

c. 72, § 6. Extension of time to file reports and returns; penalties for failure to file Section 6. A town may request and receive an extension of time for submission of its report and returns from the commissioner for cause. Any town which has not received an extension of time and whose report and returns are not received by the commissioner on or before September thirtieth shall be subject to such penalties as may be established by the board of education under regulations adopted by it under chapter thirty A of the General Laws. Such penalties may include, but not be limited to, forfeiture by such town of part or all of the amount to be distributed to it by the state treasurer under chapter seventy.

M.G.L. c. 72, § 7 Liability of school committee for failure to file returns or reports

c. 72, § 7. Liability of school committee for failure to file returns or reports Section 7. A town suffering such a forfeiture through the default of its school committee may withhold the compensation of the committee.

M.G.L. c. 72, § 8 School registers; maintenance and use

c. 72, § 8. School registers; maintenance and use Section 8. The school committee shall cause the registers of daily attendance to be faithfully kept under the direction of the superintendent who shall make due return thereof to the school committee or to such person as it may designate. All registers shall be kept at the schools, and at all times during school hours shall be open to the inspection of the committee, the superintendent, supervisors of attendance, and the commissioner and agents of the department. In computing the average daily membership a pupil's name shall be omitted only when it is known that he has withdrawn from the school without intention of returning. A pupil who is not present during at least half of a session shall be marked and counted as absent for that session. The use of automation equipment in keeping such registers may be used, with the approval of the department of education.

M.G.L. c. 72, § 9 Copies of report to be filed with chief executive officers of cities or towns

c. 72, § 9. Copies of report to be filed with chief executive officers of cities or towns Section 9. A copy of each report filed with the commissioner of education under this chapter shall also be filed at the same time with the chief executive officer of the city or town, but in the case of a regional school district with the chief executive officers of all the member cities and towns.

Source: Massachusetts General Court (malegislature.gov)URL: https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXII/Chapter72Fetched: 10/20/2026