Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S0230 Compare Versions

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

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5	5	2025 -- S 0230
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7	7	LC000647
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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 -- SCHOOL COMMITTEES AND SUPER INTENDENTS
16	16	Introduced By: Senators Quezada, Bell, and Bissaillon
17	17	Date Introduced: February 13, 2025
18	18	Referred To: Senate Education
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21	21	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
22	22	SECTION 1. Section 16-2-17 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-2 entitled "School 1
23	23	Committees and Superintendents [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of Education 2
24	24	Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows: 3
25	25	16-2-17. Right to a safe school. 4
26	26	(a) Each student, staff member, teacher, and administrator has a right to attend and/or work 5
27	27	at a school which is safe and secure, and which is conducive to learning, and which is free from the 6
28	28	threat, actual or implied, of physical harm by a disruptive student. A disruptive student is a person 7
29	29	who is subject to compulsory school attendance, who exhibits persistent conduct which 8
30	30	substantially impedes the ability of other students to learn, or otherwise substantially interferes with 9
31	31	the rights stated above, and who has failed to respond to corrective and rehabilitative measures, 10
32	32	including restorative justice practices, presented by staff, teachers, or administrators. 11
33	33	(b) The school committee, or a school principal as designated by the school committee, 12
34	34	may suspend all pupils in grades six (6) and above found guilty of this conduct, or of violation of 13
35	35	those school regulations which relate to the rights set forth in subsection (a), or where a student 14
36	36	represents a threat to those rights of students, teachers, or administrators, as described in subsection 15
37	37	(a). Nothing in this section shall relieve the school committee or school principals from following 16
38	38	all procedures required by state and federal law regarding discipline of students with disabilities. 17
39	39	(c) The school committee, or a school principal as designated by the school committee, 18
40	40	may issue an out-of-school suspension on a student enrolled in grades preschool through fifth grade 19
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44	44	only if the school administration, in consultation with a school psychologist or other mental health 1
45	45	professional, determines that such student’s behavior presents a threat to the physical safety or 2
46	46	health of others which cannot be reduced or eliminated through interventions and supports. In all 3
47	47	such instances, a school shall use appropriate behavioral supports, including, but not limited to, 4
48	48	restorative justice practices, to address a student’s conduct. 5
49	49	(d) An out-of-school suspension for violating school regulations involving alcohol, illegal 6
50	50	drugs or controlled substances, or weapons, shall only be imposed on a case-by-case basis, in 7
51	51	accordance with § 16-21-21.1. 8
52	52	(e) A student suspended under this section may appeal the action of the school committee, 9
53	53	or a school principal as designee, to the commissioner of elementary and secondary education who, 10
54	54	after notice to the parties interested of the time and place of hearing, shall examine and decide the 11
55	55	appeal without cost to the parties involved. Any decision of the commissioner in these matters shall 12
56	56	be subject to appeal by the student to the council on elementary and secondary education and any 13
57	57	decision of the council may be appealed by the student to the family court for the county in which 14
58	58	the school is located as provided in § 42-35-15. 15
59	59	(d)(f) All school superintendents, or their designees, shall review annually, the discipline 16
60	60	data for their school district, collected in accordance with the specifications set forth in § 16-60-17
61	61	4(a)(21), to determine whether the discipline imposed has a disproportionate impact on students 18
62	62	based on race, ethnicity, or disability status and to appropriately respond to any such disparity. In 19
63	63	addition to the data submitted, if a disparity exists, the every school district shall, after consultation 20
64	64	with representatives of the faculty, submit a an annual report to the council on elementary and 21
65	65	secondary education describing the conduct of the student, the frequency of the conduct, prior 22
66	66	disciplinary actions for the conduct, any other relevant information and corrective actions what 23
67	67	action, if any, has been or is being taken to address the any such disparity, after consultation with 24
68	68	representatives of the faculty has been taken to address the disparity. If a review of the data 25
69	69	determines that there are no such disparities, the district shall submit an annual report to that effect. 26
70	70	The reports shall be deemed to be public records for purposes of title 38. 27
71	71	(e)(g) On or before September 1, 2023, and annually by September 1 thereafter, the Rhode 28
72	72	Island department of education, in coordination with the Rhode Island office of the attorney 29
73	73	general, shall, for each school district, annually collect, report, and publish on its website, data on: 30
74	74	the number of school resource officers; the use of force against students, including, but not limited 31
75	75	to, the number of instances force was used and the type of the force used; arrests of students and 32
76	76	reasons for arrest; student referrals to law enforcement and reasons for referral; student referrals to 33
77	77	court or court service units; and the number and type of any other disciplinary actions taken or 34
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81	81	recommended by school resource officers involving students. All data shall be published in a 1
82	82	manner that protects the identities of students and shall be collected and designated by student age, 2
83	83	grade, race, ethnicity, gender, language status, and disability, to the extent that the demographic 3
84	84	data is available. 4
85	85	SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 5
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92	92	EXPLANATION
93	93	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
94	94	OF
95	95	A N A C T
96	96	RELATING TO EDUCATION -- SCHOOL COMMITTE ES AND SUPERINTENDENTS
97	97	***
98	98	This act would expand and fine tune the law on the right to a safe school. It would authorize 1
99	99	the school administration to issue an out-of-school suspension to students in grade six (6) or above 2
100	100	not only if they are disruptive, but also if they are a threat to the safety of students, teachers, or 3
101	101	administrators; or found guilty of violating school regulations involving alcohol, illegal drugs or 4
102	102	controlled substances, or weapons. The act would also provide that where students are in preschool 5
103	103	through grade five (5), the school administration may issue an out-of-school suspension but only 6
104	104	after a consultation with a school psychologist or other mental health professional. 7
105	105	This act would take effect upon passage. 8
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