It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. The title of chapter 55 of the public laws of 1958 entitled "AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE TOWNS OF CHARLESTOWN AND RICHMOND TOGETHER, OR TOGETHER WITH THE TOWN OF HOPKINTON, TO JOIN A REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT, INCORPORATING SAID REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND PROVIDING FOR THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF A REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE JOINT USE OF THE PARTICIPATING TOWNS, WITHIN SAID REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT ESTABLISHED BY THIS ACT", as amended, is hereby further amended and shall hereafter be cited as follows:

"AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE TOWNS OF CHARLESTOWN, RICHMOND AND HOPKINTON, TO JOIN A REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, INCORPORATING SAID REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT AND PROVIDING FOR THE OPERATION OF A REGIONAL SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR THE JOINT USE OF THE PARTICIPATING TOWNS, WITHIN SAID REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT ESTABLISHED BY THIS ACT".

SECTION 2. Sections 1, 13 and 19 of chapter 55 of the public laws, 1958 entitled "An act authorizing the towns of Charlestown and Richmond together or together with the town of Hopkinton to join a regional high school district, incorporating said regional high school district, and providing for the issuance of bonds, construction and operation of a regional high school for the joint use of the participating towns, within said regional high school district established by this act," as amended, are hereby further amended to read as follows:

Section 1. There shall be held in each of the towns of Charlestown, Richmond, and Hopkinton, within seventy (70) {ADD one hundred twenty (120) ADD} days after the adoption of this act, a special election at which the electors of said towns qualified to vote upon a proposition to impose a tax or for the expenditure of money shall be qualified to vote and called upon to vote upon a question submitted in substantially the following form: "Shall an act passed at the January, 1986 session of the General Assembly amending Public Laws, 1958, Chapter 55 as amended and authorizing the Towns of Charlestown, Richmond and Hopkinton to join in a regional school district, kindergarten through grade 12, and providing for the issuance of bonds in the amount of not more than 12.9 million dollars, construction of a middle school, and renovations to its existing high school be approvided?" {ADD "Shall an act passed at the January, 1996 session of the General Assembly amending Public Laws, 1958, Chapter 55 as amended and amending the authority of the school committee to establish neighborhood attendance districts within the regional school district, be approved?" ADD}

For the purpose of holding such special election on said question there shall be issued in each town a warning such as that which is prescribed by law for the calling of a special financial town meeting which shall contain notice of the proposal to accept this act, and shall state the day, the place, and the laws for casting ballots upon the said question. On the date set for the special election by the town council of the respective towns there shall be established in each said town at least one (1) polling place and each such polling place shall be open for the casting of ballots on the question from nine (9:00) a.m. until nine (9:00) p.m. The town clerk of each town shall forthwith after each such special election in the respective towns notify the secretary of state of the results of said special election and the requirement that the voting list be posted at least twenty (20) days before the election shall not be applicable; and the requirement that the local board, as defined in section 17-8-1 of the general laws, shall be in its office for the purpose of receiving registration of voters between the sixty-third and sixtieth day preceding the election shall not be applicable.

Section 13. (1) A student who enters an elementary school in kindergarten will be assured of matriculation at that school through grade 4 unless the family relolcates outside the elementary school attendance district. Siblings, also, will be assured of matriculation in the same elementary school as long as another sibling is in attendance. {ADD The regional school district committee shall have the authority to establish neighborhood attendance districts within the regional school district for the elementary grades. Grade configuration for all schools within the regional school district shall be determined by the school committee based upon educational needs, in the school committee's sole and exclusive discretion. ADD}

(2) Transportation of pupils shall be considered an operational cost of the regional school district and shall be governed by the regional school district committee, which shall also govern and determine the curriculum of the school subject to the provisions of the section 11 hereof.

Section 19. Upon the acceptance and approval of this act the town councils of the member towns are hereby vested with the power and authority to enter into agreements on behalf of their respective towns and with each other, jointly and severally providing for ways and means of obtaining a site{ADD s ADD} for said regional schools and other wise generally putting into effective operation the objects and purposes of this act , all in order that the said regional middle school shall be finally constructed and the regional high school shall be renovated and put into use for said towns .

APPROVAL QUESTION

SECTION 3. The question of the approval of this act shall be submitted to the electors of the towns of Charlestown, Richmond and Hopkinton qualified to vote on any proposition to impose a tax or for the expenditure of money at a special election to be held at a date not later than one hundred twenty (120) days after the adoption of this act, said date to be set by the present Chariho regional school district committee. The question shall be submitted in substantially the following form:

"Shall an act passed at the January, 1996 session of the General Assembly amending Public Laws, 1958, Chapter 55 as amended, amending the authority of the school committee to establish neighborhood attendance districts within the regional school district, be approved?"

The warning for said election shall contain the question to be submitted. From the date the election is warned and until it is held, it shall be the duty of the town clerks of the respective towns of Hopkinton, Charlestown and Richmond to keep a copy of the act available at their offices for public inspection, but any failure of any said clerk to perform this duty shall not effect the validity of the election.

SECTION 4. This section and section 3 of this act shall take effect upon passage of this act; and the remainder of this act shall take effect upon the approval of this act by a majority in each town of those voting on the question at the election prescribed by section 3 hereof.