2016 -- H 8213

========

LC005733

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

____________

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- MAYORAL ACADEMIES

     Introduced By: Representative Brian C. Newberry

     Date Introduced: May 13, 2016

     Referred To: House Health, Education & Welfare

     (by request)

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 that identifies the town of North

Smithfield as a participating town/sending district shall not be approved by the board of education

unless the North Smithfield school committee and the North Smithfield town council supports the

mayoral academy's charter school application. Such support shall be provided either by resolution

or ordinance, after at least one public hearing. For purposes of this chapter, a mayoral academy

shall not be created by the elected town administrator of the town of North Smithfield without the

approval of the North Smithfield town council.

     SECTION 2. Chapter 16-77.4 of the General Laws entitled "Mayoral Academies [See

Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby amended by adding

thereto the following section:

     16-77.4-9. North Smithfield. -- No student from the town of North Smithfield shall be

eligible for enrollment in the RISE Mayoral Academy without approval of the North Smithfield

town council and the North Smithfield school committee. Such approval shall be provided either

by resolution or ordinance, after at least one public hearing. This section shall not apply to the

five (5) North Smithfield students enrolled in the RISE Mayoral Academy.

     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

========

LC005733

========

LC005733 - Page 2 of 3

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- MAYORAL ACADEMIES

***

     This act would require the approval of the town council and school committee of North

Smithfield for the establishment of a mayoral academy drawing on North Smithfield, or for the

enrollment of any additional North Smithfield students at RISE Mayoral Academy.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

========

LC005733

========

LC005733 - Page 3 of 3