| R 428 |
| 2026 -- S 3368 AS AMENDED Enacted 06/22/2026 |
| J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N |
| CREATING A SPECIAL JOINT LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY RHODE ISLAND'S EDUCATION FUNDING FORMULA AND EDUCATION FINANCE SYSTEM |
Introduced By: Senators Gallo, and DiPalma |
| Date Introduced: June 07, 2026 |
| WHEREAS, Rhode Island's public education system is essential to the economic vitality, |
| civic health, and long-term prosperity of the state; |
| WHEREAS, Since the adoption of Rhode Island's current education funding formula in |
| 2010, school districts and municipalities have experienced significant changes in enrollment |
| patterns and student needs; |
| WHEREAS, Inflation, rising operational costs, and increasing expenditures related to |
| transportation, multilingual learner services, special education, pension obligations, and other |
| educational needs have placed significant fiscal pressures on school districts and municipalities |
| across Rhode Island; |
| WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Foundation convened a Blue Ribbon Commission on |
| Education Funding, composed of educators, municipal leaders, policymakers, advocates, |
| researchers, and community stakeholders, to evaluate Rhode Island's education funding system |
| and develop recommendations for modernization; |
| WHEREAS, The Commission recommended a student-centered system with an expanded |
| definition of educational costs within the funding formula, revised student weighting |
| mechanisms, increased state participation in certain education expenses, a required and defined |
| local share of costs, and expanded accountability and transparency measures; and |
| WHEREAS, Modernization of the education funding formula must be pursued in a |
| manner that is equitable, fiscally responsible, and sustainable for both the State and local |
| communities; now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission be and the same is hereby created |
| consisting of sixteen (16) members: three (3) of whom shall be members of the Rhode Island |
| Senate, at least one of whom shall be a member of the minority party, to be appointed by the |
| President of the Senate; three (3) of whom shall be members of the Rhode Island House of |
| Representatives, at least one of whom shall be a member of the minority party, to be appointed by |
| the Speaker of the House of Representatives; one of whom shall be the Executive Director of the |
| National Education Association Rhode Island, or designee; one of whom shall be the President of |
| the American Federation of Teachers Rhode Island, or designee; one of whom shall be the |
| Commissioner of the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, or |
| designee; one of whom shall be the Director of the Rhode Island Office of Management and |
| Budget, or designee; one of whom shall be the Senior Advisor for Education to the Rhode Island |
| Governor, or designee; one of whom shall be the Executive Director of the Rhode Island |
| Association of School Committees, or designee; one of whom shall be the Executive Director of |
| the Rhode Island School Superintendents Association, or designee; one of whom shall be the |
| President of the Rhode Island Association of School Business Officials, or designee; one of |
| whom shall be the President of the Rhode Island Government Finance Officers Association, or |
| designee; and one of whom shall be the Director of the Division of Municipal Finance, or |
| designee. |
| The purpose of said commission shall be to make a comprehensive study of Rhode |
| Island's education funding formula and education finance system, including, but not limited to: |
| (1) Studying the feasibility of implementing the recommendations contained in the Rhode |
| Island Foundation's Blue Ribbon Commission Report, Equalizing Opportunity: Creating a Fair |
| and Transparent Funding System for Rhode Island's Public Schools; |
| (i) Evaluating the associated statutory recommendations and recommending measures |
| and weights not specified in the report; and |
| (ii) Comparing the total costs of the proposed system to the current system, including |
| multiple total state share amounts as presented by the commission, using the most recent |
| complete year of finalized and validated Uniform Charter of Accounts (UCOA) revenue and |
| expenditure data; |
| (2) Evaluating the adequacy, equity, predictability, and long-term fiscal sustainability of |
| Rhode Island's education funding formula, including the impact of declining enrollment, rising |
| educational costs, and differing levels of municipal fiscal capacity; |
| (3) Developing recommendations for modifications to Rhode Island's education funding |
| formula consistent with the educational and fiscal needs of the State and its municipalities; and |
| (4) Proposing a transition plan not to exceed five (5) fiscal years, specifying annual |
| adjustments to state and municipal shares to achieve full implementation of the recommendations. |
| Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the Speaker of the House and the President of |
| the Senate shall designate the chair of the commission, and at the call of the chair, shall meet not |
| later than October 31, 2026. |
| The Commission shall meet regularly and may solicit input from stakeholders, including |
| the Rhode Island Foundation, the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, Blue Ribbon |
| Commission members, community members, educators, and financial experts. |
| All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information, |
| documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or |
| desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution. |
| Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment. |
| The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services. |
| The commission may receive such funding and administrative support as may be |
| necessary to carry out the purposes of this resolution. |
| The Joint Committee on Legislative Services is hereby authorized and directed to provide |
| suitable quarters for said commission; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the commission shall submit an interim report of its findings and |
| recommendations to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the |
| President of the Senate no later than March 2, 2027; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the commission shall submit a final report of its findings and |
| recommendations to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the |
| President of the Senate no later than September 1, 2027, and said commission shall expire on |
| December 1, 2027. |
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| LC006588 |
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