| 1 | 1 | | |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | 2023 -- H 6051 |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | ======== |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | LC001900 |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | ======== |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023 |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | ____________ |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | A N A C T |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | RELATING TO EDUCATION -- HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PUPILS |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | Introduced By: Representatives Morales, McNamara, Cruz, Sanchez, Giraldo, and |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | Casimiro |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | Date Introduced: March 03, 2023 |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | Referred To: House Education |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 16-21 of the General Laws entitled “Health and Safety of Pupils” is 1 |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | hereby amended by adding thereto the following: 2 |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | 16-21-42. Standards for closure or phase-out of a public school building. 3 |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | (a) As used in this section: 4 |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | (1) “Closure of a public school” means the temporary or permanent ending, concluding, 5 |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | and finishing of use of a building as a public school building within which education services are 6 |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | provided, and includes the cessation of all public school related activities therein; 7 |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | (2) “Phase-out of a public school” means a gradual process designed to lead up to the 8 |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | closure of a public school. “Phase-out of a public school” includes provisions for continued 9 |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | education during the time of the process, as well as a transition plan for staff at the public school; 10 |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | (3) “Staff” includes teachers, department heads, administrators, maintenance personnel, 11 |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | food and cafeteria personnel, athletic and team personnel, and any other individuals employed at 12 |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | the public school building subject to the provisions of this section. 13 |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | (b) Within seven (7) calendar days after a determination by a public school district to 14 |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | initiate either a closure of a public school building or a phase-out of a public school building within 15 |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | the district, the following information shall be provided on the district website’s homepage, and via 16 |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | an email and written notice sent to a responsible adult for each student attending school within the 17 |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | building being phased-out and closed: 18 |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | (1) A public, detailed, quantitative and qualitative report regarding building facility 19 |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | LC001900 - Page 2 of 3 |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | conditions, the cost to repair the building, identification of possible uses of space for the building 1 |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | once it has been closed, including, but not limited to, lease, sale, demolition, and other, student 2 |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | enrollment trends, existing classroom sizes, the proposed timeline of the proposed closure, and an 3 |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | explanation describing the reasons for the proposed closure of the public school; 4 |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | (2) A contingency transition plan regarding enrollment and transportation options for 5 |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | families and household units and students who will be impacted by the closure of the school; and 6 |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | (3) A contingency transition plan for staff who will be impacted by the closure of the 7 |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | school. 8 |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | (c) Within fourteen (14) days following the release of the report and contingency plans 9 |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | required pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, the district shall hold and host at least three (3) 10 |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | meetings as follows: 11 |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | (1) A meeting with staff to share details of the proposed public school closure; 12 |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | (2) A meeting with the school’s parent-teacher association, special education local advisory 13 |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | group, and any other parent or responsible adult groups which are active within the school; and 14 |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | (3) A public forum to share and discuss the closure proposal with students, families, 15 |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | community members, and staff. 16 |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | (d) Following the hosting of the meetings required pursuant to subsection (c) of this 17 |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | section, the district’s school board, committee, or other governing body shall make a 18 |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | recommendation to either move forward with the proposed school closure or phase-out. 19 |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 20 |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | ======== |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | LC001900 |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | ======== |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | LC001900 - Page 3 of 3 |
|---|
| 71 | 71 | | EXPLANATION |
|---|
| 72 | 72 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
|---|
| 73 | 73 | | OF |
|---|
| 74 | 74 | | A N A C T |
|---|
| 75 | 75 | | RELATING TO EDUCATION -- HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PUPILS |
|---|
| 76 | 76 | | *** |
|---|
| 77 | 77 | | This act would establish certain actions a public school district must follow as part of the 1 |
|---|
| 78 | 78 | | phase-out or closure of a public school building. 2 |
|---|
| 79 | 79 | | This act would take effect upon passage. 3 |
|---|
| 80 | 80 | | ======== |
|---|
| 81 | 81 | | LC001900 |
|---|
| 82 | 82 | | ======== |
|---|