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:

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

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

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hereby amended to read as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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determine which students shall be admitted.

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

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

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

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

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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 - MAYORAL ACADEMIES

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

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

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each included municipality also supported the application.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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