2019 -- S 0046

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - SCHOOL COMMITTEES AND SUPERINTENDENTS

     

     Introduced By: Senator Roger Picard

     Date Introduced: January 16, 2019

     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 [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of

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Education Act]" 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

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

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exclusive 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 Rhode Island Board of

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Education. In lieu of a convenient location, the school committee may provide transportation for

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pupils to and from school in accordance with the provisions of chapter 21 of this title. Provided,

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that a school district may establish a school year that is the equivalent of one hundred eighty

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(180) days through the use of longer school days in terms of hours or pursuant to subsection (c) of

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this section, and that may total less than one hundred eighty (180) separate days, so long as

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through the use of the longer school day, the school district annually provides a minimum of one

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thousand eighty (1,080) school hours in a single school year. This figure is based on a minimum

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of six (6) hours per school day. For purposes of clarification, the intent herein is to permit school

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

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

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that in doing so, school districts shall still provide the minimum amount of instruction time

 

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contemplated by this section. Nothing herein shall be deemed to limit a school district from

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exceeding the 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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     (c) On or before December 1, 2017, the department of elementary and secondary

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education shall establish a policy that allows a school district to submit a detailed plan, at any

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time, to the commissioner of elementary and secondary education that would allow the schools to

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conduct instruction through virtual education when the schools have been closed due to inclement

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weather or other emergency. The plan for virtual education would be subject to, and require

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approval by, the council on elementary and secondary education in order to count as a school day.

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     Upon approval by the local school committee, school districts may conduct instruction

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through virtual education for up to five (5) days when schools have been closed due to inclement

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weather, emergency or any nonscheduled school closing. The instruction through virtual

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education may occur on or after the school closure day. A plan shall be submitted to the school

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committee for approval that includes the following:

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      (1) Updated school attendance policy that states failure to complete work required for

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virtual instruction days will result in a student being recorded as absent;

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     (2) The plan to provide instruction for students without computers or Internet access;

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     (3) The approval of teachers to participate and have availability at set times in virtual

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education days;

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     (4) An affirmation that the academic work shall be the equivalent in effort and rigor to

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typical classroom work; and

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     (5) A statement and plan for notification of staff, students and parents, not less than two

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(2) days, regarding the intent to use virtual instruction days and about whether the virtual

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instruction will occur on the school closure day or at a day in the future, including, but not limited

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to, school vacation weeks or long weekends.

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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 - SCHOOL COMMITTEES AND SUPERINTENDENTS

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     This act would repeal the requirement that the department of elementary and secondary

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education establish a policy allowing a school district to submit a detailed plan to conduct

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instruction through virtual education when schools have been closed due to inclement weather or

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other emergency, and amend the statutory law to allow, upon approval by the local school

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committee, a school district to conduct instruction through virtual education for up to five (5)

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days when schools have been closed due to inclement weather, emergency or any nonscheduled

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school closing. The plan submitted to the school committee for approval shall meet specified

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criteria as set forth in the statute.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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