Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $3.6 Million to Support Implementation of Revised Time-Out Regulations

Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $3.6 Million to Support Implementation of Revised Time-Out Regulations 

EVERETT – The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced $3.6 million in competitive grant awards to 78 school districts, charter schools, collaboratives, and approved special education schools. The grants will help schools implement strategies and interventions aligned with the administration’s revised regulations that the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education adopted in June, and will also support the appropriate use of time-out practices statewide. Time-out is a behavioral support strategy used in schools to help students calm, and some schools use specific rooms for this purpose.

Districts and schools will be able to train staff in de-escalation strategies, positive behavior interventions, trauma-informed teaching and alternatives to the use of time-out rooms. Grantees will also be empowered to use restorative practices to build positive relationships, resolve conflicts, and build students’ sense of belonging. Ultimately, these efforts are aimed at reducing the use of time-out rooms, increasing students’ access to the classroom, improving students’ self-regulation, improving school climate, and enhancing collaboration among educators, families and community partners.

“This funding will help educators reduce the use of time-out rooms and to use student-centered behavioral support strategies that promote belonging and inclusion,” said Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler.

“While these regulatory updates have been under development for some time, we know that meaningful change requires investment,” said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez. “These grants are designed to help districts strengthen behavioral supports, build staff capacity and implement the revised regulations in ways that lead to better outcomes for students."

The revised regulations updated the definition of seclusion and time-out, added requirements for any room or area that is used for time-out, added emergency circumstances under which a form of seclusion in which a staff member is immediately available to the student may be used as a last resort, and added safeguards for the use of emergency seclusion. 

The grant is designed to help recipients align local practices with state regulations; strengthen data collection, oversight and reporting; and reduce schools’ reliance on time-out rooms.

The FY26 grant recipients are:

· ACCEPT Education Collaborative (in Natick): $50,000

· Acton-Boxborough Regional School District: $50,000

· Arlington School District: $50,000

· Assabet Valley Collaborative (in Marlborough): $50,000

· Attleboro School District: $50,000

· Bedford School District: $50,000

· Bellingham School District: $50,000

· Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public School (in Adams): $50,000

· Bi-County Collaborative (in Walpole): $50,000

· Braintree School District: $50,000

· Branches School of the Berkshires (in Pittsfield): $50,000

· Canton School District: $50,000

· Cape Cod Collaborative (in Osterville): $50,000

· CAPS Collaborative (in Westminster): $50,000

· Chicopee School District: $50,000

· Collaborative for Regional Educational Service and Training (CREST) (in Andover): $50,000

· Danvers School District: $50,000

· Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District: $50,000

· Fairhaven School District: $50,000

· Falmouth School District: $38,800

· Framingham School District: $50,000

· Franklin School District: $50,000

· Gloucester School District: $50,000

· Granby School District: $26,141

· Haverhill School District: $50,000

· KIPP Academy Lynn Charter School: $50,000

· Latham Centers (in Brewster): $17,400

· Leominster School District: $50,000

· Leverett School District: $19,450

· Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative (in West Springfield): $40,580

· Ludlow School District: $35,495

· Lynn School District: $50,000

· MAB Community Services (in Brookline): $50,000

· Martha’s Vineyard School District: $45,392

· Maynard School District: $50,000

· Nashoba Learning Group (in Bedford): $50,000

· New England Adolescent Research Institute (in Easthampton): $50,000

· New England Center for Children (in Southborough): $50,000

· New Salem-Wendell School District: $25,248

· Newton School District: $50,000

· North Adams School District: $50,000

· North Brookfield School District: $14,780

· Northampton School District: $50,000

· Northborough-Southborough School District: $50,000

· Northborough School District: $50,000

· Northshore Education Consortium (in Beverly): $50,000

· Norton School District: $50,000

· Oxford School District: $33,000

· Pilgrim Area Collaborative (in Plymouth): $50,000

· Randolph School District: $50,000

· Rochester School District: $50,000

· Salem School District: $50,000

· Salem Academy Charter School: $50,000

· SEEM Collaborative (in Stoneham): $49,919

· South Coast Educational Collaborative (in Swansea): $50,000

· South Shore Educational Collaborative (in Hingham): $50,000

· Southborough School District: $50,000

· Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative (in Dartmouth): $50,000

· Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District: $40,000

· Springdale Education Center (in Chicopee): $50,000

· Springfield School District: $50,000

· Springfield Preparatory Charter School: $9,000

· St. Ann’s Home (in Methuen): $50,000

· Seven Hills Foundation/Stetson School (in Barre): $50,000

· Taunton School District: $50,000

· The Education Cooperative (TEC) (in East Walpole): $50,000

· The Guild for Human Services (in Concord): $50,000

· Triton Regional School District: $50,000

· Walker (in Needham): $50,000

· Waltham School District: $50,000

· Watertown School District: $50,000

· Wayland School District: $50,000

· Webster School District: $50,000

· West Bridgewater School District: $43,000

· Weymouth School District: $28,415

· Whitney Academy (in East Freetown): $50,000

· Woburn School District: $50,000

Worcester School District: $50,000