2025 -- H 5252
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LC000917
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
____________
A N A C T
RELATING TO TOWNS AN D CITIES -- WARWICK PUBLIC SCHOOLS BUDGE T
COMMISSION
Introduced By: Representatives McNamara, Shekarchi, Solomon, Bennett, and Read
Date Introduced: January 31, 2025
Referred To: House Education
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Title 45 of the General Laws entitled "TOWNS AND CITIES" is hereby 1
amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 2
CHAPTER 9.1 3
Warwick Public Schools Budget Commission 4
45-9.1-1. Establishment. 5
(a) There is hereby created the Warwick public schools budget commission. 6
(b) The Warwick public schools budget commission shall be subject to the provisions of 7
chapter 2 of title 38 ("access to public records"), chapter 14 of title 36 ("code of ethics"), and chapter 8
46 of title 42 ("open meetings"). 9
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, action by the Warwick 10
public schools budget commission under this chapter shall constitute action by the school district 11
for all purposes under the general laws, under any special law, and under the Warwick city charter. 12
45-9.1-2. Composition. 13
The Warwick public schools budget commission shall consist of five (5) members; three 14
(3) of whom shall be designees of the mayor with the advice and consent of the city council; one 15
of whom shall be the designee of the Warwick superintendent of schools; and one of whom shall 16
be the designee of the chair of the Warwick school committee. One of the mayoral designees shall 17
serve as the chairperson by vote of the entire commission. No member of the commission shall be 18
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an appointor or a Warwick elected official. Any vacancy that occurs in the commission membership 1
shall be filled in the same manner and process as which the person creating the vacancy was 2
appointed. 3
45-9.1-3. Authority; Powers; Duties. 4
(a) During the term of the Warwick public schools budget commission, no school spending 5
shall occur unless approved by the commission, or in the case of an emergency, by the city finance 6
director only to the extent to cure such emergency. 7
(b) The Warwick public schools budget commission shall have the power to: 8
(1) Amend, formulate, and execute the annual school budget; 9
(2) Implement and maintain uniform budget guidelines and procedures for the school 10
system as a whole; 11
(3) Amortize operational deficits in an amount as the city finance director approves and for 12
a term not longer than five (5) years; 13
(4) Develop and maintain a uniform system for all financial planning for the Warwick 14
public schools district; 15
(5) Employ, retain, and supervise such managerial, professional, and clerical staff as are 16
necessary to carry out its responsibilities; provided, however, that such employment, retention and 17
supervisory decisions are subject to the approval of the city finance director; 18
(6) Adopt rules and regulations governing the operation and administration of the school 19
district that permit the budget commission to effectively carry out its duties; and 20
(7) Compel operational, financial performance, or forensic audits, or any other similar 21
assessments. 22
(c) Within one hundred twenty (120) days of being appointed, the Warwick public schools 23
budget commission shall develop a three (3) year operating and capital financial plan to achieve 24
fiscal stability in the Warwick public schools district. The plan shall include a preliminary analysis 25
of the school district’s financial situation and the Warwick public schools budget commission’s 26
initial recommendations to immediately begin to address the operating and structural deficits. 27
45-9.1-4. Expiration. 28
The Warwick public schools budget commission shall cease to exist upon completion of 29
two (2) events as follows: 30
(1) Approval of the FY 2025-2026 Warwick school budget as recommended by the mayor 31
and approved by the city council; and 32
(2) Adoption of a deficit reduction plan by the commission as approved by the auditor 33
general. 34
LC000917 - Page 3 of 4
45-9.1-5. Exemptions. 1
(a) Nothing in this chapter shall authorizes the Warwick public schools budget commission 2
to: 3
(1) Reject or alter any collective bargaining agreement; 4
(2) Eliminate the duty to bargain, as provided in chapter 9.3 of title 28 ("certified school 5
teachers' arbitration"); 6
(3) Hire or terminate school department personnel; 7
(4) Impact projects funded by bond proceeds or make any decisions related thereto, 8
including, but not limited to, construction of new high schools. 9
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 10
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LC000917
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO TOWNS AN D CITIES -- WARWICK PUBLIC SCHOOLS BUDGE T
COMMISSION
***
This act would create the Warwick public schools budget commission consisting of five 1
(5) members to oversee the operations of Warwick public schools and to present a preliminary 2
analysis of the school district's financial situation, initial recommendations to immediately address 3
the operating and structural deficits, and a three (3) year financial plan to achieve fiscal stability. 4
This act would take effect upon passage. 5
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LC000917
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