AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- COUNCIL ON ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (Expands council on elementary and secondary education and board of education and makes teacher of year and student advisory chair voting members on each.)

H7907

2026 -- H 7907
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
____________
A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- COUNCIL ON ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION

Introduced By:
Representatives Morales, Kislak, Sanchez, Giraldo, Cruz, Potter, Tanzi,
and Cotter

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 16-60-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-60 entitled "Council on
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Elementary and Secondary Education [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of
3
Education Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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16-60-2. Appointment of board members.
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(a) The governor shall establish the council on elementary and secondary education by
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appointing
eight (8)

ten (10)
members of the board of education established pursuant to chapter 97
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of this title to serve as members of the council until the expiration of their term and appointment of
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their successor as a member of the board of education. The chair of the board of education shall
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serve on the council in a voting, ex-officio capacity.
Five (5)

Six (6)
voting members of the council
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shall constitute a quorum and the vote of the majority of those present and voting shall be required
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for action. The governor shall appoint the chair of the council on an annual basis from among the
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eight (8)

ten (10)
council members.
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(b) In addition to the
eight (8)

ten (10)
members appointed by the governor, the Rhode
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Island teacher of the year shall serve
as an ex officio and voting member
on the council on
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elementary and secondary education pursuant to §
16-97-1(c) and (d)

16-97-1(d)
.
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(c) No person shall be eligible for appointment to the board after the effective date of this
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act [March 24, 2006] unless he or she is a resident of this state, with the exception of the individual
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serving in the ex officio seat as Rhode Island teacher of the year.

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(d) There is hereby established a student advisory council to the council on elementary and
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secondary education, consisting of one elected high school student representative from each public
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secondary school in the state of Rhode Island.
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(1) Each public secondary school shall hold elections for its representative to the student
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advisory council no earlier than the first (1st) day of March and no later than the end of the second
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(2nd) full week of April. Each school shall elect only one representative. Elected members shall be
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notified of their election on or before the Friday of the third (3rd) week of April of the year of their
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election. No person shall be eligible to be elected to the student advisory council unless at the time
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of his or her election he or she is enrolled as a student in a secondary school between the grades of
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nine (9) and eleven (11) within the state of Rhode Island. No person shall be allowed to vote if they
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are not currently enrolled in a Rhode Island public secondary school between the grades of nine (9)
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and eleven (11). If at any time during his or her term of office a member of the student advisory
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council ceases to be so enrolled, his or her membership shall be terminated and his or her position
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shall be deemed vacant. This vacancy shall be filled by the public secondary school within thirty
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(30) school days of the opening of the vacancy.
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(2) The student advisory council will serve from the first (1st) day of May of the year it is
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elected until the last day of April of the following year. A student may serve no more than three (3)
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terms.
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(3) Said student advisory council shall meet
from time to time

quarterly, at a minimum,

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and shall consider such matters as it deems appropriate.
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(4) Prior to the first (1st) day of June of each annual session the student advisory council
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shall adopt a set of bylaws.
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(5) Members of the council shall not be compensated for service in attending meetings
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except that they shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in traveling to and from
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meetings.
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(6) The members of said student advisory council shall, by majority vote prior to the first
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(1st) day of June in each year, elect from their members a chairperson who shall serve for a term
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of one year beginning on the first (1st) day of June. Said chairperson shall serve as an ex officio
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and
nonvoting

voting
member of the council for a term of one year, unless the student advisory
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council removes said chairperson from his or her position in a manner described within the bylaws
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of that council.
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SECTION 2. Section 16-97-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-97 entitled "The Rhode
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Island Board of Education Act" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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16-97-1. Rhode Island board of education established.

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(a) Effective January 1, 2013, there is created a board of education that shall be responsible
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for and shall exercise the purposes, powers, and duties of, this chapter and chapters 59 and 60 of
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this title. The board is responsible for the coordination of education from pre-K through higher
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education and shall set goals and policies for the effective coordination of these public education
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systems.
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(b) The board of education shall consist of
seventeen (17)

nineteen (19)
public members
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appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate, eight (8) of whom shall be
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designated to serve on the council on elementary and secondary education and eight (8) of whom
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shall be designated to serve on the council on postsecondary education.
The two (2) members of
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the board not directly appointed by the governor shall be the Rhode Island teacher of the year and
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the chairperson of the student advisory council whom shall be designated to serve on the council
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on elementary and secondary education, each of whom shall be limited to one term and would have
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to receive advise and consent from the senate.
The chairperson of the board shall serve as a member
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of both councils. Six (6) of the members initially appointed pursuant to this section shall serve
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terms of three (3) years; six (6) members initially appointed pursuant to this section shall serve
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terms of two (2) years; and, four (4) members initially appointed pursuant to this section shall serve
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terms of one year. To the greatest extent possible, the initial staggered terms shall be equitably
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divided among the councils so as to protect against sudden changes in membership and reversal of
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policy. Thereafter, all members appointed pursuant to this section shall serve terms of three (3)
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years. At the expiration of their terms, members shall remain and continue in their official capacity
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until their successor is appointed and qualified. Members shall not be appointed to more than three
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(3), successive three-year (3) terms each; provided that the chair of the board shall have no term
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and shall serve at the pleasure of the governor. Any vacancy among the members of the board shall
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be filled by appointment of the governor for the remainder of the unexpired term. In the selection
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and appointment of the board, the governor shall seek persons who best serve the needs of the entire
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state. No person shall be eligible for appointment to the board after the effective date of this act
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unless a resident of this state. Members of the board shall not be compensated for their service in
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attending board or council meetings.
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(c) The chair of the Governor’s workforce board, or designee; the chair of the Rhode Island
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commerce corporation, or designee; the chair of the university of Rhode Island board of trustees,
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or designee
; and the Rhode Island teacher of the year
shall serve as non-voting, ex-officio members
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of the board.
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(d) The Rhode Island teacher of the year shall serve on the board for one year, beginning
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after their term as teacher of the year has expired. If the teacher of the year is unable or unwilling

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to serve, a former Rhode Island teacher of the year may be selected to serve on the board by the
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commissioner of elementary and secondary education; provided that, the individual is still teaching
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in Rhode Island public schools.
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(e) The governor shall select from the appointed members a chairperson and vice
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chairperson. A quorum shall consist of nine (9) members of the board. A majority vote of those
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present shall be required for action.
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(f) Except as provided by subsection (b) of this section, members of the board shall be
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removable by the governor for cause only. Removal solely for partisan or personal reasons
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unrelated to performance, capacity, or fitness for the office shall be unlawful.
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(g) The statutory responsibilities of the department of elementary and secondary education,
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the commissioner of elementary and secondary education, and the commissioner of postsecondary
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education shall remain unchanged.
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(h) The chair of the board of education shall consult with the chairs of the council on
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elementary and secondary education, the council on postsecondary education, the commissioner of
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elementary and secondary education, and the commissioner of postsecondary education in
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developing agendas, goals, policies, and strategic plans for the board.
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SECTION 3. 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 -- COUNCIL ON ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION
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This act would expand the council on elementary and secondary education to ten (10)
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members; make six (6) members a quorum; would make the teacher of the year a voting member;
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would require the student advisory council to meet at least quarterly; would make the chair of the
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student advisory council a voting member of the council; would expand the board of education
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from seventeen (17) to nineteen (19) members and would include the Rhode Island teacher of the
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year and the chairperson of the student advisory council and would also be voting members to the
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board.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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