Bill Sponsors
J. Lombardi, Hull, Ajello, Sanchez, Alzate, and Felix
Committee
House Education
Summary
Select
This legislation restructures the governance and funding of the "urban collaborative," an organization that provides alternative education programs for students who struggle in traditional school settings. It establishes a five-member board of trustees to manage the collaborative, which will include the Providence school superintendent, superintendents from other participating districts, and appointees from the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education. Additionally, the bill clarifies that the collaborative is eligible to receive state education aid, federal grants, and Medicaid revenue directly, treating it similarly to a standard school district for funding purposes.
Sponsor
Analysis
Pros for Progressives
- Ensures that alternative education programs for at-risk youth receive equitable access to federal aid and Medicaid funding, strengthening the social safety net for vulnerable students.
- Formalizes state-level oversight through Council appointments, potentially ensuring higher standards and accountability for students who are often marginalized in traditional systems.
- Maintains a collaborative model that encourages resource sharing among urban districts, promoting a communal approach to education rather than competition.
Cons for Progressives
- Removes the specific statutory inclusion of Pawtucket, Central Falls, and East Providence school committees, potentially diluting the guaranteed voice of these historically underserved communities.
- Centralizes power in a small board of trustees and state appointees, moving governance further away from democratically elected school committees and local community control.
- Grants the Providence superintendent a permanent seat while leaving other districts to be determined by bylaws, creating a power imbalance that favors the largest district over smaller urban partners.
Pros for Conservatives
- Streamlines the governance structure into a smaller, five-person board, potentially reducing administrative gridlock found in larger bureaucratic committees.
- Strictly ties funding to the state's education aid formula, ensuring that financial allocations follow established fiscal rules rather than arbitrary spending.
- Empowers the collaborative to function more autonomously like a district, potentially fostering competition and alternative models to the traditional public school monopoly.
Cons for Conservatives
- Increases state-level interference by allowing the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education to appoint board members, undermining local control of schools.
- Expands the administrative state by enabling this collaborative to directly receive and manage federal grants and Medicaid revenue, growing the size of government dependency.
- Removes specific references to local school committees in favor of a "board of trustees," distancing parents and taxpayers from the decision-making process.
Constitutional Concerns
None Likely
Impact Overview
Groups Affected
- Students in alternative education programs
- School Superintendents
- School Committees
- Special education administrators
- Council on Elementary and Secondary Education
Towns Affected
Providence, Pawtucket, East Providence, Central Falls
Cost to Taxpayers
None
Revenue Generated
None
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Bill Status
Current Status
Held
Comm Passed
Floor Passed
Law
History
• 01/09/2026 Introduced, referred to House Education
Bill Text
SECTION 1. Section 16-3.1-11 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-3.1 entitled "Cooperative Service Among School Districts [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows:
16-3.1-11. Urban collaborative.
(a)(1) The urban collaborative shall be governed by a board of trustees, with the exception of those powers and duties reserved by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education.
(2) The board of trustees of the urban collaborative shall consist of five (5) members including:
(i) The superintendent of the Providence school district, or designee;
(ii) The superintendent, or designee, of any other Rhode Island school district(s) as may be approved for inclusion by existing member districts in accordance with the urban collaborative’s bylaws; and
(iii) The council on elementary and secondary education shall appoint the remaining members of the board of trustees of the urban collaborative with input from the commissioner of elementary and secondary education.
(b) The urban collaborative's board of trustees isNotwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, the school committees of the cities of Providence, Pawtucket, East Providence, Central Falls and other Rhode Island school districts as may be approved for inclusion by existing member districts in accordance with collaborative bylaws are authorized and empowered to continue and/or initiate cooperative efforts to provide alternate education programs and/or diagnostic services required by law or regulation for students achieving limited success in traditional settings and to do all things necessary including, but not limited to utilization of technology, including television, all on a collaborative basis. The various school committees may assign and delegate to their respective school committee chairs or designee or superintendents of schools or designee, acting as a regional board any duties, responsibilities, and powers that the committees may deem necessary for the conduct, administration, and management of the urban collaborative. Beginning on July 1, 2013 the urban collaborative shall be funded pursuant to the provisions of § 16-7.2-3. The state share of the permanent foundation education aid shall be paid directly to the urban collaborative pursuant to the provisions of § 16-7.2-7. The local school district shall transfer the difference between the calculated state share of the permanent foundation education aid and the amount calculated pursuant to the provisions of § 16-7.2-7 to the urban collaborative, until the transition of the state share is complete. In addition, the local school district shall pay the local share of education funding to the urban collaborative as outlined in § 16-7.2-5.
(c) The urban collaborative shall be eligible to receive other aids, grants, Medicaid revenue, and any other revenue according to Rhode Island law, as though it were a school district. Federal aid received by the state shall be used to benefit students in the urban collaborative, if the school qualifies for the aid, as though it were a school district.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
16-3.1-11. Urban collaborative.
(a)(1) The urban collaborative shall be governed by a board of trustees, with the exception of those powers and duties reserved by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education.
(2) The board of trustees of the urban collaborative shall consist of five (5) members including:
(i) The superintendent of the Providence school district, or designee;
(ii) The superintendent, or designee, of any other Rhode Island school district(s) as may be approved for inclusion by existing member districts in accordance with the urban collaborative’s bylaws; and
(iii) The council on elementary and secondary education shall appoint the remaining members of the board of trustees of the urban collaborative with input from the commissioner of elementary and secondary education.
(b) The urban collaborative's board of trustees is
(c) The urban collaborative shall be eligible to receive other aids, grants, Medicaid revenue, and any other revenue according to Rhode Island law, as though it were a school district. Federal aid received by the state shall be used to benefit students in the urban collaborative, if the school qualifies for the aid, as though it were a school district.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.