AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- SCHOOL COMMITTEES AND SUPERINTENDENTS (Changes the maximum term of employment for a superintendent from three (3) to five (5) years.)

H7904

2026 -- H 7904
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LC005573
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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 -- SCHOOL COMMITTEES AND SUPERINTENDENTS

Introduced By:
Representatives Kislak, Shallcross Smith, Giraldo, Cortvriend, and Tanzi

Date Introduced:
February 27, 2026

Referred To:
House Education
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 16-2-9 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-2 entitled "School
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Committees and Superintendents [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of Education
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Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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16-2-9. General powers and duties of school committees.
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(a) Unless the responsibility is otherwise delegated by this chapter, the entire care, control,
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and management of all public school interests of the several cities and towns shall be vested in the
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school committees of the several cities and towns. School committees shall have, in addition to
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those enumerated in this title, the following powers and duties:
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(1) To identify educational needs in the community.
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(2) To develop education policies to meet the needs of the community.
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(3) To provide for and ensure the implementation of federal and state laws, the regulations
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of the council on elementary and secondary education, and local school policies, programs, and
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directives.
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(4) To provide for the evaluation of the performance of the school system.
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(5) To have responsibility for the care and control of local schools.
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(6) To have overall policy responsibility for the employment and discipline of school
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department personnel.
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(7) To approve a master plan defining goals and objectives of the school system. These
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goals and objectives shall be expressed in terms of what men and women should know and be able

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to do as a result of their educational experience. The committee shall periodically evaluate the
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efforts and results of education in light of these objectives.
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(8) To provide for the location, care, control, and management of school facilities and
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equipment.
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(9) To adopt a school budget to submit to the local appropriating authority.
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(10) To adopt any changes in the school budget during the course of the school year.
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(11) To approve expenditures in the absence of a budget, consistent with state law.
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(12) To employ a superintendent of schools and assign any compensation and other terms
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and conditions as the school committee and superintendent shall agree, provided that in no event
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shall the term of employment of the superintendent exceed
three (3)

five (5)
years. Nothing
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contained in this chapter shall be construed as invalidating or impairing a contract of a school
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committee with a school superintendent in force on May 12, 1978.
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(13) [Deleted by P.L. 2019, ch. 224, § 2 and P.L. 2019, ch. 259, § 2.]
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(14) To establish minimum standards for personnel, to adopt personnel policies, and to
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approve a table of organization.
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(15) To establish standards for the evaluation of personnel.
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(16) To establish standards for conduct in the schools and for disciplinary actions.
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(17) To hear appeals from disciplinary actions.
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(18) To enter into contracts; provided, however, that notwithstanding any other provision
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of the general or public laws, whether of specific or general application, and notwithstanding the
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provisions of any charter of any municipality where the school committee is appointed and not
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elected, but not including, the Central Falls school district board of trustees established by § 16-2-
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34, the power and duty to enter into collective bargaining agreements shall be vested in the chief
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executive officer of the municipality and not in the school committee.
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(19) To publish policy manuals that shall include all school committee policies.
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(20) To establish policies governing curriculum, courses of instruction, and text books.
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(21) To provide for transportation services that meet or exceed standards of the council on
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elementary and secondary education.
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(22) To make any reports to the department of education as are required by the council on
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elementary and secondary education.
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(23) To delegate, consistent with law, any responsibilities to the superintendent as the
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committee may deem appropriate.
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(24) To address the health and wellness of students and employees.
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(25) To establish a subcommittee of the school board or committee to decrease obesity and

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address school health and wellness policies for students and employees consistent with § 16-21-28.
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(26) To annually undertake a minimum of six (6) hours of professional development as set
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forth and described in § 16-2-5.1.
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(27) To establish policies governing the implementation of the incorporation of career and
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technical education programs into the kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) curricula that
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include knowledge of careers and all types of employment opportunities, including, but not limited
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to, registered apprenticeships in accordance with chapter 45 of title 28, and emphasizing the
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advantages of completing school with marketable skills.
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(b) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to limit or interfere with the rights of teachers
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and other school employees to collectively bargain pursuant to chapters 9.3 and 9.4 of title 28 or to
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allow any school committee to abrogate any agreement reached by collective bargaining.
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(c) The elected school committees of each city, town, or regional school district, or the
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chief executive officer of any municipality having an appointed school committee, shall have the
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power to bind their successors and successor committees by entering into contracts of employment
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in the exercise of their governmental functions.
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(d) Notwithstanding any provisions of the general laws to the contrary, the requirement
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defined in subsections (d) through (f) of this section shall apply. The school committee of each
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school district shall be responsible for maintaining a school budget that does not result in a debt.
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(e) The school committee shall, within thirty (30) days after the close of the first and second
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quarters of the state’s fiscal year, adopt a budget as may be necessary to enable it to operate without
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incurring a debt, as described in subsection (d).
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(f) In the event that any obligation, encumbrance, or expenditure by a superintendent of
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schools or a school committee is in excess of the amount budgeted or that any revenue is less than
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the amount budgeted, the school committee shall within five (5) working days of its discovery of
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potential or actual over expenditure or revenue deficiency submit a written statement of the amount
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of and cause for the over obligation or over expenditure or revenue deficiency to the city or town
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council president and any other person who by local charter or statute serves as the city or town’s
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executive officer; the statement shall further include a statement of the school committee’s plan for
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corrective actions necessary to meet the requirements of subsection (d). The plan shall be approved
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by the auditor general and also submitted to the division of municipal finance.
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(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, whether of general or specific application,
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and notwithstanding any contrary provision of any city or town charter or ordinance, the elected
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school committee of any city, town, and regional school district shall be, and is hereby authorized
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to retain, the services of independent legal counsel as it may deem necessary and convenient. Any

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counsel so retained shall be compensated out of funds duly appropriated to the school committee,
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and in no event shall the independent counsel be deemed to be an employee of the pertinent city or
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town for any purpose.
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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 -- SCHOOL COMMITTEES AND SUPERINTENDENTS
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This act would change the maximum term of employment for a superintendent from three
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(3) to five (5) years.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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