2018 -- H 7884

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LC004407

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION – MAYORAL ACADEMIES

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Barros, Shanley, Cunha, Amore, and Blazejewski

     Date Introduced: February 28, 2018

     Referred To: House Finance

     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, or for the expansion of, a mayoral

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academy.

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     (a) A "mayoral academy" means a charter school created by a mayor of any city or town

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within the State of Rhode Island, acting by, or through, a nonprofit organization established for

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said purpose (regardless of the time said nonprofit organization is in existence), that enrolls

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students from more than one city or town, including both urban and non-urban communities, and

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that offers an equal number of enrollments to students on a lottery basis; provided, further, that

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such mayoral academies shall have a board of trustees or directors that is comprised of

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representatives from each included city or town and is chaired by a mayor of an included city or

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town. The mayor from each city or town, or in the absence of a mayor, the city or town council

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via a resolution or ordinance, shall approve the participation in the mayoral academy's catchment

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area for a proposed charter or an amendment to a charter for expansion. For purposes of this

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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) If any proposed mayoral academy or any proposed expansion of any mayoral

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academy is part of a network of charter schools or a charter management organization currently

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operating within or outside of the state, the mayoral academy proposal shall provide evidence of

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the following:

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     (1) That across all affiliated network schools in Rhode Island, or any other state in which

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the network is operating, attrition rates are within a plus or minus five percent (+/-5%) range of

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the sending attrition rates; and

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     (2) That across all affiliated network schools operating in Rhode Island or any other state

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in which the network is operating, special education enrollment numbers are within a plus or

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minus five percent (+/- 5%) range of state special education averages; and

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     (3) That across all affiliated network schools in Rhode Island or any other state in which

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the network is operating, student suspension rates are within a plus or minus five percent (+/- 5%)

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range of state averages.

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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 require any mayoral academy which is part of a network of charter

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schools that seeks to be established or expanded in Rhode Island to provide evidence that its

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attrition rates, its special education enrollment numbers and its suspension rates are within a plus

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or minus five percent (+/- 5%) range of the state average.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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