2016 -- H 7772

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LC005131

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - RECOVERY HIGH SCHOOLS ACT

     

     Introduced By: Representatives McNamara, Azzinaro, Slater, Hull, and Naughton

     Date Introduced: February 26, 2016

     Referred To: House Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 16-95-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-95 entitled "The

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Recovery High Schools Act [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education

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Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     16-95-4. Transfer of aid. -- (a) Any school district in Rhode Island that may have a

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student or students who are currently or were last enrolled in said district and who are considered

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by the sending district to be both clinically and academically appropriate for referral diagnosed

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with substance use disorder or dependency, as defined by the diagnostic and statistical manual of

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mental disorders IV-TR may be referred to a Rhode Island recovery high school may be referred

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by a clinician licensed pursuant to chapter 35 of title 42 for voluntary enrollment in such school.

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If said student is admitted to said school, the sending school district shall ensure that payment

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pursuant to subsection (b) herein for students who attend the recovery high school is paid, and

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further, that upon completion of all other graduation requirements, said student or students shall

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receive a diploma.

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      (b) A sending school district shall transfer the per pupil allotment it receives core

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instructional amount pursuant to chapter 16-7.2 ("The Education Equity and Property Tax Relief

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Act") to a recovery high school for any student attending the recovery high school and meeting

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the following criteria: (1) The student is currently enrolled in the district or currently resides in

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the municipality in which the district is located; (2) The student is considered by a clinician

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licensed pursuant to 42-35, to be clinically appropriate, using the criteria for substance use

 

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disorders as defined in the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders IV-TR; and (3)

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The student meets all matriculation criteria as outlined by the sending district and the department

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of elementary and secondary education, with determination of academic eligibility based on

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existing documentation provided by the district. The district and the recovery high school shall

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arrange to confer a diploma when a student completes state and district-mandated graduation

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requirements. The local share of education funding shall be paid to the recovery high school in

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the same manner as the local share of education funding is paid to charter public schools, the

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William M. Davies, Jr. Career and Technical High School, and the Metropolitan Regional Career

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and Technical Center, as outlined in ยง 16-7.2-5.

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     (c) The state shall appropriate no less than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000)

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annually for the administration and programmatic costs of each recovery high school.

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      (c)(d) A recovery high school shall submit to the board of regents council on elementary

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and secondary education academic data considered necessary by the board to provide information

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regarding each student's academic performance, subject to applicable health confidentiality laws

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and regulations.

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      (d)(e) The board of regents council on elementary and secondary education, in

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consultation with the department of behavioral health, developmental disabilities and hospitals

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shall promulgate rules and regulations as necessary to implement and carry out the intent of this

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chapter.

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     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 - RECOVERY HIGH SCHOOLS ACT

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     This act would remove school district approval from the enrollment process for recovery

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high school students and would require the transfer of the per pupil core instructional amount.

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The act would also require the state to annually provide no less than five hundred thousand

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dollars ($500,000) to each recovery high school.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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