Permits a school to calculate its maintenance of effort on a per-pupil basis and to deduct any nonrecurring expenditure from its maintenance of effort.
Impact
One of the prominent implications of S2860 is its focus on enhancing the support and intervention strategies for schools that are consistently underperforming. Under the enacted provisions, the Board of Regents is mandated to implement a series of progressive support mechanisms including technical assistance, policy support, and resource oversight. This marks a significant pivot towards accountability measures, as the bill outlines that if a school does not show improvement after three years of intervention, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will exert more control over budgetary and operational decisions within the affected school or district.
Summary
Bill S2860, known as the Paul W. Crowley Rhode Island Student Investment Initiative, introduces significant amendments to the state's approach toward failing schools. The act specifically allows schools to calculate their maintenance of effort on a per-pupil basis, which is a shift that aims to alleviate funding pressures for individual students. Furthermore, the bill permits schools to deduct nonrecurring expenditures from their maintenance calculations, potentially providing schools with greater financial flexibility during budget assessments.
Contention
While supporters of S2860 argue that these strategies are essential for fostering educational improvement, there are concerns about potential overreach by state authorities. Critics assert that the intervention methods may undermine local governance structures, diminishing the autonomy of school committees in addressing the unique needs of their districts. Additionally, the reliance on state-imposed criteria for assessing educational improvement raises questions about fairness and the challenges of addressing diverse educational environments across Rhode Island.