AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- FOUNDATION LEVEL SCHOOL SUPPORT (Allows a different minimum salary schedule for Providence public school teachers and provides a process for the dismissal and demotion of teachers. The reconstitution and control of the Providence public schools would terminate on June 30, 2026.)

S2934

2026 -- S 2934
========
LC005293
========

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
____________
A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- FOUNDATION LEVEL SCHOOL SUPPORT

Introduced By:
Senator Samuel D. Zurier

Date Introduced:
March 04, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Education
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
1
SECTION 1. Section 16-7-29 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-7 entitled "Foundation
2
Level School Support [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is
3
hereby amended to read as follows:
4

16-7-29. Minimum salary schedule.
5
(a)
Every

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, every
municipality and
6
regional school district shall establish and put into full effect by appropriate action of its school
7
committee in a municipality or regional school district where the school committee is elected, or
8
by appropriate action of the chief executive officer, in a municipality where the school committee
9
is appointed, a salary schedule recognizing years of service, experience, and training for all certified
10
personnel regularly employed in the public schools and having no more than twelve (12) annual
11
steps. The term “school year” as applied to the salary schedule means the ten (10) calendar months
12
beginning in September and ending the following June.
13

(b) In the Providence public school district only, the parties may negotiate alternative salary
14
schedules that do not include the provisions of section (a) of this section, and which may include
15
other bases for increased compensation including, but not limited to, bonuses for teachers willing
16
to take on greater responsibilities.
17

(b)
(c)
Nothing in this section shall prohibit a freeze or reduction of the monetary value of
18
the steps in the salary schedule through the collective bargaining process.
19
SECTION 2. Sections 16-13-4 and 16-13-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-13 entitled

1
"Teachers’ Tenure" are hereby amended to read as follows:
2

16-13-4. Statement of cause for dismissal — Hearing — Appeals — Arbitration.
3
(a)
(1) For districts other than Providence pubic school district, the

The
statement of cause
4
for dismissal shall be given to the teacher, in writing, by the governing body of the schools. The
5
teacher may, within fifteen (15) days of the notification, request, in writing, a hearing before the
6
school committee or school board. The hearing shall be public or private, in the discretion of the
7
teacher. Both teacher and school board shall be entitled to be represented by counsel and to present
8
witnesses. The board shall keep a complete record of the hearing and shall furnish the teacher with
9
a copy. Any teacher aggrieved by the decision of the school board shall have the right of appeal to
10
the department of elementary and secondary education and shall have the right of further appeal to
11
the superior court. Any decisions rendered must be approved by a majority of the full board.
12
Members voting on a decision must have been in attendance at the hearing.
13

(2)(i) For the Providence public school district, a principal may dismiss or demote any
14
teacher or other person assigned full-time to the school, subject to the review and approval of the
15
superintendent; and subject to the provisions of this section, the superintendent may dismiss any
16
employee of the school district. In the vase of employees whose duties require them to be assigned
17
to more than one school, and in the case of teachers who teach in more than one school, those
18
persons shall be considered to be under the supervision of the superintendent for all decisions
19
relating to dismissal or demotion for cause.
20

(ii) Teachers who have been teaching in a school system for at least ninety (90) calendar
21
days shall not be dismissed unless they have been furnished with written notice of intent to dismiss
22
and with an explanation of the grounds for dismissal in sufficient detail to permit the teachers to
23
respond and documents relating to the grounds for dismissal, and, if they so request, have been
24
given a reasonable opportunity within ten (10) school days after receiving such written notice to
25
review the decision with the principal or superintendent, as the case may be, and to present
26
information pertaining to the basis for the decision and to the teacher’s status. The teachers
27
receiving such notice may be represented by an attorney or other representative at such meeting
28
with the principal or superintendent. Teachers without professional teacher status shall otherwise
29
be deemed employees at will.
30

(iii) A teacher with tenure shall not be dismissed except for inefficiency, incompetency,
31
incapacity, conduct unbecoming a teacher, insubordination or failure on the part of the teacher to
32
satisfy teacher performance standards developed pursuant to chapter 38 of this title or other just
33
cause.
34

(iv) A teacher with tenure status may seek review of a dismissal decision within thirty (30)

LC005293 - Page 2 of 7
1
days after receiving notice of their dismissal by filing a petition for arbitration with the
2
commissioner. The commissioner shall forward to the parties a list of three (3) arbitrators provided
3
by the American Arbitration Association. Each person on the list shall be accredited by the national
4
Academy of Arbitrators. The parties each shall have the right to strike one of the three (3)
5
arbitrators’ names if they are unable to agree upon a single arbitrator from amongst the three (3).
6
The arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration
7
Association to be consistent with the provisions of this section. The board of education shall
8
determine the process for selecting arbitrators for the pool. The fee for the arbitration shall be split
9
equally between the two (2) parties involved in the arbitration. The rules governing the arbitration
10
procedure shall be the rules of the American Arbitration Association as pertains to arbitration.
11

(v) At the arbitration hearing, the teacher and the school district may be represented by an
12
attorney or other representative, present evidence, and call witnesses and the school district shall
13
have the burden of proof. In determining whether the district has proven grounds for dismissal
14
consistent with this section, the arbitrator shall consider the best interests of the pupils in the district
15
and the need for elevation of performance standards.
16

(vi) The arbitrator’s decision shall be issued within one month from the completion of the
17
arbitration hearing, unless all parties involved agree otherwise, and shall contain a detailed
18
statement of the reasons for the decision. Upon a finding that the dismissal was improper under the
19
standards set forth in this section, the arbitrator may award back pay, benefits, reinstatement, and
20
any other non-financial relief or any combination thereof. Under no circumstances shall the
21
arbitrator award punitive, consequential, or nominal damages or compensatory damages other than
22
back pay, benefits or reinstatement. In the event the teacher is reinstated, the period between the
23
dismissal and reinstatement shall be considered to be time served for purposes of employment. The
24
arbitral decision shall be subject to judicial review as provided in chapter 9.2 of title 28.
25

(vii) With the exception of other remedies provided by statute, the remedies provided in
26
this section shall be the exclusive remedies available to teachers for wrongful termination.
27
(b) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prohibit, or at any time to have
28
prohibited, a school committee in a municipality or regional school district with an elected school
29
committee, or the chief executive officer in a municipality with an appointed school committee
30
from agreeing, in a collective bargaining agreement, to the arbitration of disputes arising out of the
31
nonrenewal, dismissal, and/or suspension of a teacher pursuant to §§ 16-13-2, 16-13-3, and/or 16-
32
13-5.
33

16-13-6. Suspension because of decrease in school population — Seniority —
34
Reinstatement.

LC005293 - Page 3 of 7
1
(a)
(1) For all local education authorities other than the Providence public school district, a

2
A
school board may, by reason of a substantial decrease of pupil population within its school
3
system, suspend teachers in numbers necessitated by the decrease in pupil population; provided,
4
however, that suspension of teachers shall be in the inverse order of their employment unless it is
5
necessary to retain certain teachers of technical subjects whose places cannot be filled by teachers
6
of earlier appointment; and, provided further, that teachers who are suspended shall be reinstated
7
in the inverse order of their suspension. No new appointments shall be made while there are
8
available teachers so suspended.
9

(2)(i) The Providence public school district board may, by reason of substantial decrease
10
of pupil population within its school system, suspend teachers in numbers necessitated by the
11
decrease in pupil population; provided, however, that no teacher with tenure shall be laid off
12
pursuant to a reduction in force or reorganization, if there is a teacher without tenure for whose
13
position the covered employee is currently certified or if there is a less qualified teacher with tenure
14
holding the same or similar position for which the covered employee is currently certified. No
15
teacher with tenure shall be displaced in accordance with terms of a collective bargaining
16
agreement or otherwise by a more senior teacher with unless the more senior teacher is currently
17
certified and is at least as qualified for the position as the junior teacher holding the position.
18

(ii) The criteria for determining a qualified teacher under this subsection shall be subject
19
to the collective bargaining agreement; provided, however, that any such collectively bargained for
20
qualifications shall include, as the primary factors, indicators of job performance, invading overall
21
ratings resulting from comprehensive evaluations and the best interests of the students in the school
22
or district.
23

(iii) A teacher meeting one of the following criteria and who has not received an
24
unsatisfactory performance evaluation in the school year immediately prior to the school year in
25
which a layoff is announced shall be exempted without regard to tenure:
26

(A) A teacher who graduated from an in-district secondary school if the district has higher
27
than the state percentage of high-needs students, as defined by the department;
28

(B) A teacher who works in a school that is among the top twenty percent (20%) of schools
29
with the highest percentage of high-needs students in the district, as defined by the department;
30

(C) A teacher who works in a school that is among the top twenty percent (20%) of schools
31
with the lowest staff retention in the district;
32

(D) A teacher deemed by the department as a teacher of the year;
33

(E) A teacher who received the highest rating on a performance evaluation delivered in
34
either or both of the school years immediately prior to the school year in which a layoff is

LC005293 - Page 4 of 7
1
announced; or
2

(F) A teacher with linguistic proficiency in relation to in-district language or dialect. For
3
purposes of this subsection, linguistic proficiency means:
4

(I) Holding the state’s Bilingual Education Endorsement;
5

(II) Achieving at least an Advanced Low score on the Oral Proficiency Interview or Writing
6
Proficiency Test proficiency tests offered through the American Council for the Teaching of
7
Foreign Languages; or
8

(III) Another method of verification or attestation of proficiency as determined by the
9
district superintendent. For the purpose of this subsection, in relation to in-district language or
10
dialect shall mean proficiency specifically in a language or dialect other than English that is spoken
11
by the greater of:
12

(aa) Five percent (5%) or more of the students enrolled at the school where a teacher is
13
assigned or, if the teacher is not assigned to a school, of the students enrolled in the district; or
14

(bb) At five percent (5%) or more of the homes of the students enrolled at the school where
15
a teacher is assigned or, if the teacher is not assigned to a school, of the homes of the students
16
enrolled in the district.
17

(iv) Among the remaining teachers without tenure, no teacher shall be laid off pursuant to
18
a reduction in force or reorganization if there is a less qualified teacher without such status holding
19
the same or similar position for which the covered employee is currently certified.
20

(v) The school committee and the collective bargaining representative may negotiate for
21
seniority or length of service only as a tie-breaker in personnel actions under this subsection among
22
teachers whose qualifications are no different using the qualifications collectively bargained for in
23
accordance with this subsection.
24
(b) Notice of suspension under this section and § 16-13-5 shall be given, in writing, by the
25
governing body of schools on or before June 1 notifying the teacher that his or her employment for
26
the ensuing year shall be suspended, provided however, notice by that date need not be provided in
27
the instance of an emergency performance-related cause.
28
SECTION 3. Chapter 16-7.1 of the General Laws entitled "The Paul W. Crowley Rhode
29
Island Student Investment Initiative [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of
30
Education Act]" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
31

16-7.1-5.3. Termination of reconstitution and control of the Providence Public
32
schools.

33

Notwithstanding other provisions of Rhode Island law, and notwithstanding the actions of
34
the board of education and/or its council on elementary and secondary education, the

LC005293 - Page 5 of 7
1
commissioner’s order of reconstitution and control of the Providence public schools issued on
2
October 15, 2019, shall terminate on June 30, 2026, subject to the following expectations:
3

(1) The school board will:
4

(i) Devote its primary focus to reviewing and improving student achievement outcomes;
5

(ii) Work with the superintendent in a collaborative partnership including, but not limited
6
to, the formation of the district’s strategic planning and priorities, and the preparation of meeting
7
agendas.
8

(2) The Providence school department will:
9

(i) Adopt policies and procedures to promote labor-management collaboration, including
10
developing performance evaluation criteria for administrators that place a greater weight on
11
advancing collaboration with teachers;
12

(ii) Adopt policies and procedures that promote greater site-based management;
13

(iii) Place a greater priority on promoting educational initiatives at the building and
14
classroom levels by granting teachers greater flexibility in the delivery of education to students.
15

(3) The city of Providence will provide generous local support for the Providence public
16
schools budget. Instead of limiting its contribution to the lowest possible “maintenance of effort”
17
allowed under state law, the city will, at a minimum, increase its annual contribution per student to
18
align with either inflation or the overall increase of per student state aid to the Providence public
19
schools.
20
SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon passage.
========
LC005293
========

LC005293 - Page 6 of 7
EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- FOUNDATION LEVEL SCHOOL SUPPORT
***
1
This act would allow a different minimum salary schedule for Providence public school
2
teachers whereby such teachers would be entitled to certain bonus and/or increased compensation
3
for taking on greater responsibilities. This act would further amend the teachers’ tenure act for
4
Providence public school teachers and provide a process for the dismissal and demotion for teachers
5
or other persons assigned full-time to the school, and allow the Providence public school district,
6
by reason of a substantial decrease of pupil population within its school system, to suspend teachers
7
in numbers necessitated by the decrease in pupil population and provide a process for any
8
suspensions. This act would also terminate the order of reconstitution and control of the Providence
9
public schools on June 30, 2026.
10
This act would take effect upon passage.
========
LC005293
========

LC005293 - Page 7 of 7