Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S0774 Compare Versions

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

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5	5	2025 -- S 0774
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7	7	LC002013
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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 EDUCATION -- COUNCIL ON ELEMENTARY AND SECON DARY
16	16	EDUCATION
17	17	Introduced By: Senators DiMario, Lawson, Gallo, Murray, Bissaillon, Valverde,
18	18	McKenney, DiPalma, Zurier, and Quezada
19	19	Date Introduced: March 14, 2025
20	20	Referred To: Senate Education
21	21
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23	23	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
24	24	SECTION 1. Section 16-60-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-60 entitled "Council on 1
25	25	Elementary and Secondary Education [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of 2
26	26	Education Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows: 3
27	27	16-60-2. Appointment of board members. 4
28	28	(a) The governor shall establish the council on elementary and secondary education by 5
29	29	appointing eight (8) ten (10) members of the board of education established pursuant to chapter 97 6
30	30	of this title to serve as members of the council until the expiration of their term and appointment of 7
31	31	their successor as a member of the board of education. The chair of the board of education shall 8
32	32	serve on the council in a voting, ex-officio capacity. Five (5) Six (6) voting members of the council 9
33	33	shall constitute a quorum and the vote of the majority of those present and voting shall be required 10
34	34	for action. The governor shall appoint the chair of the council on an annual basis from among the 11
35	35	eight (8) ten (10) council members. 12
36	36	(b) In addition to the eight (8) ten (10) members appointed by the governor, the Rhode 13
37	37	Island teacher of the year shall serve as an ex-officio and voting member on the council on 14
38	38	elementary and secondary education pursuant to § 16-97-1(c) and (d) 16-97-1(d). 15
39	39	(c) No person shall be eligible for appointment to the board after the effective date of this 16
40	40	act [March 24, 2006] unless he or she is a resident of this state, with the exception of the individual 17
41	41	serving in the ex officio seat as Rhode Island teacher of the year. 18
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45	45	(d) There is hereby established a student advisory council to the council on elementary and 1
46	46	secondary education, consisting of one elected high school student representative from each public 2
47	47	secondary school in the state of Rhode Island. 3
48	48	(1) Each public secondary school shall hold elections for its representative to the student 4
49	49	advisory council no earlier than the first (1st) day of March and no later than the end of the second 5
50	50	(2nd) full week of April. Each school shall elect only one representative. Elected members shall be 6
51	51	notified of their election on or before the Friday of the third (3rd) week of April of the year of their 7
52	52	election. No person shall be eligible to be elected to the student advisory council unless at the time 8
53	53	of his or her election he or she is enrolled as a student in a secondary school between the grades of 9
54	54	nine (9) and eleven (11) within the state of Rhode Island. No person shall be allowed to vote if they 10
55	55	are not currently enrolled in a Rhode Island public secondary school between the grades of nine (9) 11
56	56	and eleven (11). If at any time during his or her term of office a member of the student advisory 12
57	57	council ceases to be so enrolled, his or her membership shall be terminated and his or her position 13
58	58	shall be deemed vacant. This vacancy shall be filled by the public secondary school within thirty 14
59	59	(30) school days of the opening of the vacancy. 15
60	60	(2) The student advisory council will serve from the first (1st) day of May of the year it is 16
61	61	elected until the last day of April of the following year. A student may serve no more than three (3) 17
62	62	terms. 18
63	63	(3) Said student advisory council shall meet from time to time quarterly, at a minimum, 19
64	64	and shall consider such matters as it deems appropriate. 20
65	65	(4) Prior to the first (1st) day of June of each annual session the student advisory council 21
66	66	shall adopt a set of bylaws. 22
67	67	(5) Members of the council shall not be compensated for service in attending meetings 23
68	68	except that they shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in traveling to and from 24
69	69	meetings. 25
70	70	(6) The members of said student advisory council shall, by majority vote prior to the first 26
71	71	(1st) day of June in each year, elect from their members a chairperson who shall serve for a term 27
72	72	of one year beginning on the first (1st) day of June. Said chairperson shall serve as an ex officio 28
73	73	and nonvoting voting member of the council for a term of one year, unless the student advisory 29
74	74	council removes said chairperson from his or her position in a manner described within the bylaws 30
75	75	of that council. 31
76	76	SECTION 2. Section 16-97-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-97 entitled "The Rhode 32
77	77	Island Board of Education Act" is hereby amended to read as follows: 33
78	78	16-97-1. Rhode Island board of education established. 34
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82	82	(a) Effective January 1, 2013, there is created a board of education that shall be responsible 1
83	83	for and shall exercise the purposes, powers, and duties of, this chapter and chapters 59 and 60 of 2
84	84	this title. The board is responsible for the coordination of education from pre-K through higher 3
85	85	education and shall set goals and policies for the effective coordination of these public education 4
86	86	systems. 5
87	87	(b) The board of education shall consist of seventeen (17) nineteen (19) public members 6
88	88	appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate, eight (8) of whom shall be 7
89	89	designated to serve on the council on elementary and secondary education and eight (8) of whom 8
90	90	shall be designated to serve on the council on postsecondary education. The two (2) members of 9
91	91	the board not directly appointed by the governor shall be the Rhode Island teacher of the year and 10
92	92	the chairperson of the student advisory council whom shall be designated to serve on the council 11
93	93	on elementary and secondary education, each of whom shall be limited to one term and would have 12
94	94	to receive advise and consent from the senate. The chairperson of the board shall serve as a member 13
95	95	of both councils. Six (6) of the members initially appointed pursuant to this section shall serve 14
96	96	terms of three (3) years; six (6) members initially appointed pursuant to this section shall serve 15
97	97	terms of two (2) years; and, four (4) members initially appointed pursuant to this section shall serve 16
98	98	terms of one year. To the greatest extent possible, the initial staggered terms shall be equitably 17
99	99	divided among the councils so as to protect against sudden changes in membership and reversal of 18
100	100	policy. Thereafter, all members appointed pursuant to this section shall serve terms of three (3) 19
101	101	years. At the expiration of their terms, members shall remain and continue in their official capacity 20
102	102	until their successor is appointed and qualified. Members shall not be appointed to more than three 21
103	103	(3), successive three-year (3) terms each; provided that the chair of the board shall have no term 22
104	104	and shall serve at the pleasure of the governor. Any vacancy among the members of the board shall 23
105	105	be filled by appointment of the governor for the remainder of the unexpired term. In the selection 24
106	106	and appointment of the board, the governor shall seek persons who best serve the needs of the entire 25
107	107	state. No person shall be eligible for appointment to the board after the effective date of this act 26
108	108	unless a resident of this state. Members of the board shall not be compensated for their service in 27
109	109	attending board or council meetings. 28
110	110	(c) The chair of the Governor’s workforce board, or designee; the chair of the Rhode Island 29
111	111	commerce corporation, or designee; the chair of the university of Rhode Island board of trustees, 30
112	112	or designee; and the Rhode Island teacher of the year shall serve as non-voting, ex-officio members 31
113	113	of the board. 32
114	114	(d) The Rhode Island teacher of the year shall serve on the board for one year, beginning 33
115	115	after their term as teacher of the year has expired. If the teacher of the year is unable or unwilling 34
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119	119	to serve, a former Rhode Island teacher of the year may be selected to serve on the board by the 1
120	120	commissioner of elementary and secondary education; provided that, the individual is still teaching 2
121	121	in Rhode Island public schools. 3
122	122	(e) The governor shall select from the appointed members a chairperson and vice 4
123	123	chairperson. A quorum shall consist of nine (9) members of the board. A majority vote of those 5
124	124	present shall be required for action. 6
125	125	(f) Except as provided by subsection (b) of this section, members of the board shall be 7
126	126	removable by the governor for cause only. Removal solely for partisan or personal reasons 8
127	127	unrelated to performance, capacity, or fitness for the office shall be unlawful. 9
128	128	(g) The statutory responsibilities of the department of elementary and secondary education, 10
129	129	the commissioner of elementary and secondary education, and the commissioner of postsecondary 11
130	130	education shall remain unchanged. 12
131	131	(h) The chair of the board of education shall consult with the chairs of the council on 13
132	132	elementary and secondary education, the council on postsecondary education, the commissioner of 14
133	133	elementary and secondary education, and the commissioner of postsecondary education in 15
134	134	developing agendas, goals, policies, and strategic plans for the board. 16
135	135	SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. 17
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137	137	LC002013
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142	142	EXPLANATION
143	143	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
144	144	OF
145	145	A N A C T
146	146	RELATING EDUCATION -- COUNCIL ON ELEMENT ARY AND SECONDARY
147	147	EDUCATION
148	148	***
149	149	This act would expand the council on elementary and secondary education to ten (10) 1
150	150	members; make six (6) members a quorum; would make the teacher of the year a voting member; 2
151	151	would require the student advisory council to meet at least quarterly; would make the chair of the 3
152	152	student advisory council a voting member of the council; would expand the board of education 4
153	153	from seventeen (17) to nineteen (19) members and would include the Rhode Island teacher of the 5
154	154	year and the chairperson of the student advisory council and would also be voting members to the 6
155	155	board. 7
156	156	This act would take effect upon passage. 8
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158	158	LC002013
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