Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H5600 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2025 -- H 5600
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7	7	LC002058
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9	9	S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
12	12	____________
13	13
14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO EDUCATION -- ESTABLISHMENT OF CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
16	16	Introduced By: Representatives Messier, Alzate, Furtado, Kazarian, and Casimiro
17	17	Date Introduced: February 26, 2025
18	18	Referred To: House Education
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21	21	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
22	22	SECTION 1. Section 16-77-3.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-77 entitled 1
23	23	"Establishment of Charter Public Schools [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of 2
24	24	Education Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows: 3
25	25	16-77-3.1. Legislative purpose. 4
26	26	(a) The purpose of this chapter is to provide an alternative within the public education 5
27	27	system by offering opportunities for entities identified in § 16-77-2.1 to establish and maintain a 6
28	28	high performing public school program according to the terms of a charter. The key appeal of the 7
29	29	charter school concept is its promise of increased accountability for student achievement in 8
30	30	exchange for increased school autonomy. 9
31	31	(b) Charter public schools are intended to be vanguards, laboratories, and an expression of 10
32	32	the on-going and vital state interest in the improvement of education. Notwithstanding the 11
33	33	provisions of this section or any law to the contrary, a charter school shall be deemed to be a public 12
34	34	school acting under state law and subject to the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, 42 U.S.C. § 6101, 13
35	35	et seq., title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d, et seq., title IX of the educational 14
36	36	amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. § 1681, et seq., § 794 of title 29, and part B of the Individuals With 15
37	37	Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1411, et seq. All students and prospective students of a 16
38	38	charter school shall be deemed to be public school students, having all the same rights under federal 17
39	39	and Rhode Island law as students and prospective students at a non-chartered public school. These 18
40	40	charter public schools shall be vehicles for research and development in areas such as curriculum, 19
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42	42
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44	44	pedagogy, administration, materials, facilities, governance, parent relations and involvement, 1
45	45	social development, instructor’s and administrator’s responsibilities, working conditions, student 2
46	46	performance and fiscal accountability. It is the intent of the general assembly to create within the 3
47	47	public school system vehicles for innovative learning opportunities to be utilized and evaluated in 4
48	48	pilot projects. The provisions of this chapter are to be interpreted liberally to support the purposes 5
49	49	set forth in this chapter and to advance a renewed commitment by the state to the mission, goals, 6
50	50	and diversity of public education. 7
51	51	(c) It is the intent of the general assembly to provide opportunities for teachers, parents, 8
52	52	pupils, and community members to establish and maintain public schools that operate 9
53	53	independently as a method to accomplish all of the following: 10
54	54	(1) Improve pupil learning by creating schools with rigorous academic standards in all 11
55	55	basic areas of instruction for high pupil performance; 12
56	56	(2) Increase learning opportunities for all pupils, with special emphasis on expanded 13
57	57	learning experiences for pupils who are identified as educationally disadvantaged and at-risk; 14
58	58	(3) Encourage the use of innovative teaching methods; 15
59	59	(4) Create opportunities for teachers, including the opportunity to be responsible for the 16
60	60	learning program at the school site; and 17
61	61	(5) Provide parents and pupils with expanded choices in the types of educational 18
62	62	opportunities that are available within the public school system; 19
63	63	(6) Hold the schools established under this chapter accountable for meeting publicly 20
64	64	promulgated, measurable, state and charter-based pupil academic results, and provide the schools 21
65	65	with a method to implement performance-based and/or other student-based accountability systems, 22
66	66	while providing a means to restrict the expansion of ineffective charter public schools; and 23
67	67	(7) Encourage parental and community involvement with public schools. 24
68	68	(d) No private or parochial schools shall be eligible for charter public school status, nor 25
69	69	shall a charter public school be affiliated in any way with a sectarian school or religious institution. 26
70	70	Any charter public school authorized by this chapter shall be nonsectarian and nonreligious in its 27
71	71	programs, admissions policies, employment practices, and all other operations. The board of 28
72	72	regents shall not approve a charter to a school whose overall operation or education program is 29
73	73	managed by a for profit entity. 30
74	74	(e) The commissioner is empowered to promulgate rules and regulations consistent with 31
75	75	this chapter, in conformance with chapter 35 of title 42, for the creation and operation of charter 32
76	76	public schools. These rules and regulations shall set forth the process for rescission of state approval 33
77	77	of a charter public school, including appropriate protections to ensure the continued provision of 34
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81	81	education services to the students of the charter public school whose charter is rescinded. 1
82	82	(f) All charter public schools shall adhere to financial record keeping, reporting, auditing 2
83	83	requirements, and procedures as required by the Rhode Island department of education and in 3
84	84	accordance with federal and state laws and regulations. 4
85	85	(g) No more than thirty-five (35) charters shall be granted. At least one-half (½) of the total 5
86	86	number of charter public schools in the state shall be reserved for charter school applications which 6
87	87	are designed to increase the educational opportunities for at-risk pupils. Local, written support shall 7
88	88	be required for a proposed charter that is a network charter school as defined herein. "Written 8
89	89	support" means a resolution or ordinance granted by the town or city council for each proposed 9
90	90	sending district where the council considers the fiscal and educational welfare of the municipality 10
91	91	and students after at least one public hearing. 11
92	92	(e) Charter public schools, as defined in § 16-77-2.1, shall be considered a network charter 12
93	93	school if the charter public school encompasses, or will encompass, elementary and secondary 13
94	94	schools or multiple elementary or multiple secondary schools. 14
95	95	(f) Charter public schools, as defined in § 16-77-2.1 and authorized as of the effective date 15
96	96	of this section, shall be exempt from subsection (d) of this section and shall not require local, written 16
97	97	support under subsection (d) for any proposed expansion or charter renewal. 17
98	98	(g) A proposed charter, or amendment to a charter for expansion, may proceed through the 18
99	99	approval process by removing districts that have not provided written support, in accordance with 19
100	100	this section, from the catchment area and may be approved with the remaining districts in the 20
101	101	catchment area; provided that, the application satisfies the requirements of regulations and law. 21
102	102	However, the charter may be revoked at any time if the school: 22
103	103	(1) Materially violates provisions contained in the charter; 23
104	104	(2) Fails to meet or pursue the educational objectives contained in the charter; 24
105	105	(3) Fails to comply with fiscal accountability procedures as specified in the charter; 25
106	106	(4) Violates provisions of law that have not been granted variance by the council on 26
107	107	elementary and secondary education; or 27
108	108	(5) After three (3) consecutive years of operation, is not a "high-performing charter 28
109	109	school," defined as a charter public school that has demonstrated overall success, including: 29
110	110	(i) Substantial progress in improving student achievement; and 30
111	111	(ii) The management and leadership necessary to establish a thriving, financially viable 31
112	112	charter public school. 32
113	113	(h) After denying, or prior to non-renewing or revoking a charter, the department of 33
114	114	elementary and secondary education shall hold a hearing on the issues in controversy under § 16-34
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118	118	39-1. 1
119	119	(i) The establishment of new charter public schools shall be contingent upon state approval 2
120	120	and appropriation. 3
121	121	SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 4
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128	128	EXPLANATION
129	129	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
130	130	OF
131	131	A N A C T
132	132	RELATING TO EDUCATION -- ESTABLISHMENT OF CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
133	133	***
134	134	This act would amend provisions related to the legislative purpose for alternatives within 1
135	135	the public school system. 2
136	136	This act would take effect upon passage. 3
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