2013 -- S 0116 SUBSTITUTE A

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LC00398/SUB A

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2013

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A N A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- SCHOOL COMMITTEES AND SUPERINTENDENTS

     Introduced By: Senator Roger Picard

     Date Introduced: January 24, 2013

     Referred To: Senate Education

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 16-2-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-2 entitled "School

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Committees and Superintendents" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     16-2-2. City and town schools required -- School year -- Location -- Kindergartens. -

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- (a)(1) Except as specifically provided in this section, every city or town shall establish and

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maintain for at least one hundred eighty (180) days annually or the equivalent thereof, exclusive

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of holidays a sufficient number of schools in convenient places under the control and

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management of the school committee and under the supervision of the board of regents for

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elementary and secondary education. In lieu of convenient location the school committee may

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provide transportation for pupils to and from school in accordance with the provisions of chapter

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21 of this title. Provided, that a school district may establish a school year which is the equivalent

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of one hundred eighty (180) days through the use of longer school days in terms of hours, and

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which may total less than one hundred eighty (180) separate days, so long as through the use of

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the longer school day, the school district annually provides a minimum of one thousand eighty

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(1080) school hours in a single school year. This figure is based on a minimum of six (6) hours

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per school day. For purposes of clarification, the intent herein is to permit school districts to

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amend their school year to provide for longer school days while reducing the actual number of

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days in which the school facilities must be fully staffed and maintained, but to insure that in doing

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so, school districts shall still provide the minimum amount of instruction time contemplated by

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this section. Nothing herein shall be deemed to limit a school district from exceeding the

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minimum amounts of days and hours set forth herein.

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     (2) School districts intending to make use of the option provided herein to lengthen

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school days and shorten the school year shall submit a detailed school day plan and a proposed

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school calendar to the commissioner of elementary and secondary education for approval. The

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commissioner shall review the submitted school day plan and the submitted calendar to determine

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whether the plan and calendar are academically sound and fiscally efficient. The commissioner

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may grant or deny approval of the plan and/or the calendar.

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     (b) School facilities shall include a sufficient number of kindergartens.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC00398/SUB A

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- SCHOOL COMMITTEES AND SUPERINTENDENTS

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     This act would allow school districts to use longer school days to educate students during

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the school year, and to do so in less than one hundred eighty (180) days, so long as the total

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amount of school hours provided at a minimum was one thousand eighty (1,080) school hours per

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school year.

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     The act would also require school districts intending to make use of this option to provide

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a detailed school day plan and a proposed school calendar to the commissioner of elementary and

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secondary education for approval.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC00398/SUB A

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