2015 -- H 5160

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LC000606

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - MAYORAL ACADEMIES

     Introduced By: Representatives Serpa, O`Grady, Casey, Phillips, and Melo

     Date Introduced: January 21, 2015

     Referred To: House Health, Education & Welfare

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 16-77.4-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-77.4 entitled

"Mayoral Academies [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is

hereby amended to read as follows:

     16-77.4-1. Entities eligible to apply to become a mayoral academy. -- (a) A "mayoral

academy" means a charter school created by a mayor of any city or town within the State of

Rhode Island, acting by or through a nonprofit organization established for said purpose

(regardless of the time said nonprofit organization is in existence), which enrolls students from

more than one city or town including both urban and non-urban communities and which offers an

equal number of enrollments to students on a lottery basis; provided, further, that such mayoral

academies shall have a board of trustees or directors which is comprised of representatives from

each included city or town and is chaired by a mayor of an included city or town. For purposes of

this chapter the term "mayor" shall include any elected town administrator.

      (b) No child shall be required to attend a mayoral academy nor shall any teacher be

required to teach in a mayoral academy. The school committee of the district in which a mayoral

academy is located shall make accommodations to facilitate the transfer of students who do not

wish to participate in a mayoral academy into other public schools. It shall also make

accommodations for those students who wish to transfer into the mayoral academy as space

permits. If the total number of students who are eligible to attend and apply to a mayoral academy

is greater than the number of spaces available, the mayoral academy shall conduct a lottery to

determine which students shall be admitted.

     (c) A "mayoral academy" charter school application shall not be approved by the board of

education unless the school committee and the applicable city or town council of each included

municipality supports the mayoral academy's charter school application. Such support shall be

provided either by resolution or ordinance, after at least one public hearing.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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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 provide that a mayoral academy charter school's application would not be

approved by the board of education unless the school committee and the city or town council of

each included municipality also supported the application.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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