AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- COOPERATIVE SERVICE AMONG SCHOOL DISTRICTS (Amends the composition of the urban collaborative in Providence and provides that it is governed by a board of trustees.)

H7271

2026 -- H 7271
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LC004265
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- COOPERATIVE SERVICE AMONG SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Introduced By:
Representatives J. Lombardi, Hull, and Sanchez

Date Introduced:
January 23, 2026

Referred To:
House Education
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 16-3.1-11 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-3.1 entitled
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"Cooperative Service Among School Districts [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board
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of Education Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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16-3.1-11. Urban collaborative.
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(a)
Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, the school
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committees of the cities of Providence, Pawtucket, East Providence, Central Falls and other Rhode
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Island school districts as may be approved for inclusion by existing member districts in accordance
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with collaborative bylaws are authorized and empowered to continue and/or initiate cooperative
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efforts to provide alternate education programs and/or diagnostic services required by law or
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regulation for students achieving limited success in traditional settings and to do all things
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necessary including, but not limited to utilization of technology, including television, all on a
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collaborative basis.
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(b)
The various school committees may assign and delegate to
their respective school
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committee chairs or designee or superintendents of schools or designee, acting as a regional

the
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urban collaborative
board any duties, responsibilities, and powers that the committees may deem
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necessary for the conduct, administration, and management of the urban collaborative.
The school
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committee of each member district shall appoint one board member plus one additional board
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member for every thirty (30) students attending the urban collaborative from the member district.
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Whenever a vacancy arises on the urban collaborative board, the urban collaborative board may

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provide a list of suggested candidates to the school committee of the member district filling the
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vacancy. Although these suggestions shall be non-binding, and the school committee may select a
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board member who is not on the list of suggested candidates, the school committee shall give due
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consideration to the list of suggested candidates the urban collaborative board may provide.
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(c)(1)
Beginning on July 1, 2013 the urban collaborative shall be funded pursuant to the
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provisions of § 16-7.2-3. The state share of the permanent foundation education aid shall be paid
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directly to the urban collaborative pursuant to the provisions of § 16-7.2-7. The local school district
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shall transfer the difference between the calculated state share of the permanent foundation
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education aid and the amount calculated pursuant to the provisions of § 16-7.2-7 to the urban
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collaborative, until the transition of the state share is complete. In addition, the local school district
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shall pay the local share of education funding to the urban collaborative as outlined in § 16-7.2-5.
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(2)
The urban collaborative shall be eligible to receive other aids, grants, Medicaid revenue,
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and any other revenue according to Rhode Island law, as though it were a school district. Federal
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aid received by the state shall be used to benefit students in the urban collaborative, if the school
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qualifies for the aid, as though it were a school district.
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(d) Nothing in chapter 7.1 of title 16 shall be construed to authorize the department of
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elementary and secondary education to exercise control over the powers of a school committee
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pursuant to this section. During the duration of the intervention and support for the Providence
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public school district pursuant to § 16-7.1-5 including, but not limited to, the assumption of control
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over budget, program, and/or personnel of individual schools within the Providence public school
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district:
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(1) No decision to terminate Providence’s participation in the urban collaborative shall be
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valid without the approval of the Providence school board. Any such decisions made prior to the
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effective date of this subsection shall be null and void until approved by the Providence school
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board.
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(2) No decision to withdraw Providence students from the urban collaborative without their
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consent shall be valid without the approval of the Providence school board.
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(3) Any student of the Providence public schools who has been denied matriculation in the
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urban collaborative by the Providence public school district may apply directly to the urban
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collaborative for matriculation in the urban collaborative.
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(4) The Providence public schools shall not reduce either per pupil or total funding to the
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urban collaborative below the fiscal year 2025 level, increased by the same percentage as the state
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total of school aid is increased.

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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 -- COOPERATIVE SERVICE AMONG SCHOOL DISTRICTS
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This act would amend the composition of the urban collaborative in Providence and would
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provide that the urban collaborative would be governed by a board of trustees. It would also clarify
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that the Providence public schools cannot terminate their participation in the urban collaborative
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during the state takeover of the Providence public schools without the approval of the Providence
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school board.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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