2012 -- S 2837

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LC02239

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2012

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A N A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- MAYORAL ACADEMIES

     Introduced By: Senator Beatrice A. Lanzi

     Date Introduced: March 28, 2012

     Referred To: Senate Education

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Chapter 16-77.4 of the General Laws entitled "Mayoral Academies" is

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hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     16-77.4-3.1. Selection of students for mayoral academy through lottery. – (a) In

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selecting students for enrollment in a mayoral academy, said mayoral academies shall make

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randomized offers to public school students utilizing a confidential process set forth herein.

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      (b) Each mayoral academy shall determine which census tracts from which students shall

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be drawn. The mayoral academy shall then inform the applicable public school districts which

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enroll students from such tracts. The public schools shall coordinate with the mayoral academy so

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that public school students are assigned a number, and the mayoral academy shall select students

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according to numbers. The name and identity of the students shall not be provided to the mayoral

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academy. The mayoral academy shall utilize a process that randomly selects public school

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students who live in such tracts by number and inform the applicable public school of the

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selection. The mayoral academy shall issue invitations to said students to enroll in the mayoral

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academy, and these invitations shall be forwarded to the public school, which school shall then

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forward the invitations to the students. All students attending public school shall be eligible to be

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selected. A student may choose to accept the offer or reject said invitation. In the event a student

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rejects the invitation to enroll, another student shall be randomly selected utilizing the same

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process, until all available slots for students are filled. Provided, that mayoral academies shall

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offer an equal number of enrollments to students from urban and non-urban communities. For

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purposes of this process, so-called “urban ring” school communities shall be deemed to be urban

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communities.

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     (c) Provided, the parent and/or guardian of a student may inform the public school that

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they do not want their child considered for placement in a mayoral academy. In such event, the

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public school shall inform the mayoral academy of the parent or guardian’s decision, and said

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student shall not be included in the selection process.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC02239

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- MAYORAL ACADEMIES

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     This act would require mayoral academies to use a random selection process to select

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those students who would be invited to attend the mayoral academy.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC02239

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