The Rhode Island Senate on Thursday passed Sen. Louis P. DiPalma’s legislation (2022-S 2442A) that would create a joint study commission to examine the governance structure of Rhode Island’s public education system.
The purpose of the commission would be to study, review, and make recommendations on how to most efficiently and effectively administer the governance of the K through 16 public education system in Rhode Island.
“In 2013, the General Assembly established the current governance structure for pre-kindergarten through higher education. It is imperative we formally assess the effectiveness and efficiency of this structure, especially when examining it through the lens of the approximately 140,000 Pre-K to secondary students and approximately 30,000 higher education students,” said Senator DiPalma, Chair of the Senate Rules, Government Ethics & Oversight Committee (D-Dist. 12, Middletown, Little Compton, Newport, Tiverton).
The legislation is needed to ensure that Rhode Island’s children are being properly served in school and Senator DiPalma points to the current state takeover of the Providence Public School District as an issue that will be examined on the commission.
The special joint commission would be made up of five members of the Senate and five members of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House.
Senator DiPalma’s bill now heads to the House for consideration where Rep. Joseph M. McNamara (D-Dist. 19, Warwick, Cranston) has introduced the legislation (2022-H 7784A). Representative McNamara’s bill has been passed by the House and is currently before the Senate for consideration.
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