AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- SCHOOL COMMITTEES AND SUPERINTENDENTS (Authorizes the school administration to issue an out-of-school suspension to students if they are a threat to the safety of others.)

S2215

2026 -- S 2215
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LC003986
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
____________
A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- SCHOOL COMMITTEES AND SUPERINTENDENTS

Introduced By:
Senators Quezada, Thompson, Bell, Pearson, DiMario, Lauria, Zurier,
Vargas, Mack, and Euer

Date Introduced:
January 23, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Education
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 16-2-17 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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16-2-17. Right to a safe school.
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(a) Each student, staff member, teacher, and administrator has a right to attend and/or work
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at a school which is safe and secure, and which is conducive to learning, and which is free from the
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threat, actual or implied, of physical harm by a disruptive student. A disruptive student is a person
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who is subject to compulsory school attendance, who exhibits persistent conduct which
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substantially impedes the ability of other students to learn, or otherwise substantially interferes with
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the rights stated above, and who has failed to respond to corrective and rehabilitative measures
,
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including restorative justice practices,
presented by staff, teachers, or administrators.
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(b) The school committee, or a school principal as designated by the school committee,
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may suspend all pupils
in grades six (6) and above
found guilty of this conduct, or of violation of
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those school regulations which relate to the rights set forth in subsection (a), or where a student
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represents a threat to those rights of students, teachers, or administrators, as described in subsection
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(a). Nothing in this section shall relieve the school committee or school principals from following
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all procedures required by state and federal law regarding discipline of students with disabilities.
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(c)
The school committee, or a school principal as designated by the school committee,
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may issue an out-of-school suspension on a student enrolled in grades preschool through fifth grade

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only if the school administration, in consultation with a school psychologist or other mental health
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professional, determines that such student’s behavior presents a threat to the physical safety or
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health of others which cannot be reduced or eliminated through interventions and supports. In all
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such instances, a school shall use appropriate behavioral supports, including, but not limited to,
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restorative justice practices, to address a student’s conduct.
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(d) An out-of-school suspension for violating school regulations involving alcohol, illegal
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drugs or controlled substances, or weapons, shall only be imposed on a case-by-case basis, in
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accordance with § 16-21-21.1.
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(e)
A student suspended under this section may appeal the action of the school committee,
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or a school principal as designee, to the commissioner of elementary and secondary education who,
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after notice to the parties interested of the time and place of hearing, shall examine and decide the
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appeal without cost to the parties involved. Any decision of the commissioner in these matters shall
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be subject to appeal by the student to the council on elementary and secondary education and any
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decision of the council may be appealed by the student to the family court for the county in which
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the school is located as provided in § 42-35-15.
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(d)
(f)
All school superintendents, or their designees, shall review annually, the discipline
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data for their school district, collected in accordance with the specifications set forth in § 16-60-
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4(a)(21), to determine whether the discipline imposed has a disproportionate impact on students
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based on race, ethnicity, or disability status and to appropriately respond to any such disparity. In
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addition to the data submitted,
if a disparity exists, the

every
school district shall
, after consultation
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with representatives of the faculty,
submit
a

an annual
report to the council on elementary and
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secondary education describing
the conduct of the student, the frequency of the conduct, prior
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disciplinary actions for the conduct, any other relevant information and corrective actions

what
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action, if any, has been or is being taken
to address
the

any such
disparity
, after consultation with
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representatives of the faculty has been taken to address the disparity
.
If a review of the data
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determines that there are no such disparities, the district shall submit an annual report to that effect.

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The reports shall be deemed to be public records for purposes of title 38.
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(e)
(g)
On or before September 1, 2023, and annually by September 1 thereafter, the Rhode
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Island department of education, in coordination with the Rhode Island office of the attorney
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general, shall, for each school district, annually collect, report, and publish on its website, data on:
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the number of school resource officers; the use of force against students, including, but not limited
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to, the number of instances force was used and the type of the force used; arrests of students and
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reasons for arrest; student referrals to law enforcement and reasons for referral; student referrals to
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court or court service units; and the number and type of any other disciplinary actions taken or

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recommended by school resource officers involving students. All data shall be published in a
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manner that protects the identities of students and shall be collected and designated by student age,
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grade, race, ethnicity, gender, language status, and disability, to the extent that the demographic
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data is available.
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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 expand and fine tune the law on the right to a safe school. It would authorize
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the school administration to issue an out-of-school suspension to students in grade six (6) or above
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not only if they are disruptive, but also if they are a threat to the safety of students, teachers, or
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administrators; or found guilty of violating school regulations involving alcohol, illegal drugs or
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controlled substances, or weapons. The act would also provide that where students are in preschool
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through grade five (5), the school administration may issue an out-of-school suspension but only
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after a consultation with a school psychologist or other mental health professional.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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