AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- ESTABLISHMENT OF CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS (Provides educators and administrators employed in a charter public school or mayoral academy with prevailing wage and benefits oversight and recourse if found in violation of the same.)

S2634

2026 -- S 2634
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LC004944
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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 -- ESTABLISHMENT OF CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Introduced By:
Senators Bissaillon, Gallo, and Bell

Date Introduced:
February 13, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Labor & Gaming
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 16-77-5.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-77 entitled
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"Establishment of Charter Public Schools [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of
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Education Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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16-77-5.1. Oversight by commissioner.
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(a) Individuals or groups may complain to a charter public school’s governing body
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concerning any claimed violation of the provisions of this chapter by the school. If, after presenting
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their complaint to the governing body, the individuals or groups believe their complaint has not
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been adequately addressed, they may submit their complaint to the commissioner who shall hear
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and decide the issue pursuant to §§ 16-39-1 and 16-39-2.
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(b) Charter public school approval for establishment or continuation shall be for up to a
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five-year (5) period. In either case, council on elementary and secondary education approval is
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required.
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(c) Local, written support shall be required for a proposed charter that is a network charter
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school as defined herein. “Written support” means a resolution or ordinance granted by the town
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or city council for each proposed sending district where the council considers the fiscal and
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educational welfare of the municipality and students after at least one public hearing.
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(d) A charter public school, as defined in § 16-77-2.1, shall be considered a network
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charter school if the charter public school encompasses, or will encompass, elementary and
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secondary schools or multiple elementary or multiple secondary schools.

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(e) Charter public schools, as defined in § 16-77-2.1(4) and authorized as of the effective
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date of this act [July 13, 2016], shall be exempt from subsection (c) of this section and shall not
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require local, written support under subsection (c) for any proposed expansion or charter renewal.
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(f) A proposed charter, or amendment to a charter for expansion, may proceed through the
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approval process by removing districts that have not provided written support, in accordance with
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this section, from the catchment area and may be approved with the remaining districts in the
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catchment area, provided that the application satisfies the requirements of regulations and law.
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However, the charter may be revoked at any time if the school:
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(1) Materially violates provisions contained in the charter;
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(2) Fails to meet or pursue the educational objectives contained in the charter;
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(3) Fails to comply with fiscal accountability procedures as specified in the charter;
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(4) Violates provisions of law that have not been granted variance by the council on
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elementary and secondary education; or
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(5) After three (3) consecutive years of operation, is not a “high-performing charter
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school,” defined as a charter public school that has demonstrated overall success, including: (i)
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Substantial progress in improving student achievement; and (ii) The management and leadership
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necessary to establish a thriving, financially viable charter public school.
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(g) After denying, or prior to non-renewing or revoking a charter, the department of
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elementary and secondary education will hold a hearing on the issues in controversy under § 16-
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39-1.
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(h) The establishment of new charter public schools shall be contingent upon state approval
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and appropriation.
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(i) The commissioner shall be responsible for administering and enforcing compliance with
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prevailing wage and benefit requirements for teachers and administrators employed in charter
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public schools.
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(1) The department shall determine and publish, no later than July 1 of each year, the
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prevailing wage and benefit rates of all teacher and administrator positions at each charter school.
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(2) Charter public schools shall provide teacher and administrator compensation data to the
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department for compliance monitoring.
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(3) The department shall be authorized to investigate complaints, conduct audits, and issue
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corrective orders, including payment of back wages and benefits owed.
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(4) Charter public schools found to be in violation shall:
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(i) Provide full restitution of unpaid wages and benefits to affected teachers and
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administrators;

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(ii) Be subject to civil penalties of up to five hundred dollars ($500) per affected teacher or
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administrator, per day of violation; and
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(iii) Have any documented noncompliance considered during charter renewal, oversight,
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or state funding determinations.
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SECTION 2. Section 16-77.4-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-77.4 entitled "Mayoral
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Academies [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby
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amended to read as follows:
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16-77.4-2. Procedure for creation and expansion of a mayoral academy.
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(a) Any persons or entities eligible to establish a mayoral academy may submit a proposed
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charter, or an amendment to a charter for an expansion, to the commissioner. For purposes of this
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chapter, “expansion” shall be an increase in total enrollment; an increase in the grade levels
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previously authorized in the charter; or the addition of a school district to the catchment area. The
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proposed charter shall:
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(1) Be submitted to the commissioner no later than December 1st of the school year before
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the school year in which the mayoral academy is to be established;
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(2) Describe a plan for education, including the mission, objective, method of providing a
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basic education, measurable student academic goals that the mayoral academy will meet, and
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process for improving student learning and fulfilling the charter and fulfilling state and national
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educational goals and standards;
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(3) Provide a minimum of one hundred eighty (180) days of instruction to students per
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year;
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(4) Indicate performance criteria that will be used to measure student learning and to
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comply with the charter, state, and national educational goals and standards;
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(5) Include an agreement to provide a yearly report to parents, the community, the school
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committee of the sending districts, and the commissioner, that indicates the progress made by the
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mayoral academy during the previous year in meeting the charter objectives;
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(6) Present a plan for the governance, administration, and operation of the mayoral
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academy, including the manner in which the governing board of the school will be chosen, the
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nature and extent of parental, professional educator, and community involvement in the governance
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and operation of the mayoral academy, and the means of ensuring accountability to the
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commissioner, the sending school district(s), and the council on elementary and secondary
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education;
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(7) Identify the building that will house the mayoral academy and from whom and under
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what terms and conditions it is to be provided;

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(8) Describe what support services will be provided by the sending school district(s) and
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under what terms and conditions those services are to be provided, and describe what support
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services the mayoral academy will obtain directly from third parties and, to the extent known, under
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what terms and conditions those services are to be provided;
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(9) Explain the procedures that will be followed to ensure the health and safety of pupils
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and staff;
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(10) Describe enrollment procedures, including the permissible criteria for admission in
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accordance with applicable state and federal law, along with a policy, or policies, that outline
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outreach and recruitment programs to encourage the enrollment of a diverse student population;
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(11) Explain the student discipline procedures;
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(12) Explain the relationship that will exist between the proposed mayoral academy and its
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employees, including the terms and conditions of employment and the qualifications that the
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employees must meet. Teachers and administrators in mayoral academies must be certified
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pursuant to state law and regulation.
Teachers and administrators in a mayoral academy shall be
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entitled to prevailing wages and benefits as enjoyed by other Rhode Island public school teachers
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and administrators.
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(13) Each mayoral academy established pursuant to this chapter may, by written notice to
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the commissioner of elementary and secondary education, elect to have this subsection apply (or
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not apply) to its teachers, administrators, and employees:
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(i)
Teachers and administrators in a mayoral academy shall be entitled to prevailing wages
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and benefits as enjoyed by other public school teachers and administrators;
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(ii) Teachers and administrators in a mayoral academy shall be entitled to participate in the
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state teachers’ retirement system under chapter 8 of title 36;
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(iii) Employment in a mayoral academy shall be considered “service” as that term is
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defined in chapter 16 of this title.
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(14) Identify, with particularity, the state laws, state regulations, and school district rules
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from which variances are sought in order to facilitate operation of the mayoral academy. Explain
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the reasons for each variance and the alternative method by which the concern that gave rise to the
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regulation or provision will be addressed;
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(15) Provide a financial plan, including a proposed budget for the term of the charter, and
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an annual audit of the financial and administrative operations of the mayoral academy, and the
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manner in which the funds allocated to the mayoral academy will be managed and disbursed;
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(16) Provide procedures by which teaching personnel and parents can legally challenge
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decisions of the governing board of the mayoral academy that do not conform to the mayoral

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academy’s charter;
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(17) Provide a copy of the proposed bylaws of the mayoral academy; and
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(18) Provide written support from the town or city council(s) in the proposed catchment
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area if required pursuant to § 16-77-5.1.
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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 -- ESTABLISHMENT OF CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
***
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This act would provide educators and administrators employed in a charter public school
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or mayoral academy with prevailing wage and benefits oversight and recourse if found in violation
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of the same.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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