| Chapter 264 |
| 2017 -- H 6311 Enacted 07/19/2017 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO EDUCATION - SCHOOL COMMITTEES AND SUPERINTENDENTS |
| Introduced By: Representatives Phillips, Morin, Casey, Marshall, and Solomon |
| Date Introduced: June 08, 2017 |
| 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 board of regents for |
| elementary and secondary education 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 which 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 |
| which 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 |
| (1080) 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. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC002815 |
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