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:

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

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

Education Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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

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

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

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

management of the school committee and under the supervision of the Rhode Island Board of

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

exceeding the minimum amounts of days and hours set forth herein.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

committee for approval that includes the following:

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

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

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

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

education days;

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

typical classroom work; and

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

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

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

to, school vacation weeks or long weekends.

     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

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

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

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

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

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

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

criteria as set forth in the statute.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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