Bill Sponsors
Knight, Donovan, and Speakman
Committee
House Finance
Summary
Select
This bill amends the state's school bus transportation districts by moving the towns of Warren and Bristol from Region III to Region V. This geographic adjustment affects how public, private, and charter school students in these specific towns are transported to schools within their designated regions.
Sponsor
Analysis
Pros for Progressives
- Better regional alignment for Bristol and Warren (which are geographically contiguous with Region V) could reduce transit times, improving the daily well-being of public school children.
- Grouping these towns with other East Bay and Aquidneck Island communities may foster better regional cooperation for shared educational and public services.
- Improved routing efficiency could free up local educational funds that can be redirected toward helping disadvantaged students and improving school programs.
Cons for Progressives
- Students in Warren and Bristol who currently rely on busing to specialized or alternative schools in Region III (such as in Providence or Pawtucket) might lose their transportation access.
- The bill separates Barrington (Region III) from its immediate neighbors Warren and Bristol (Region V), potentially disrupting existing inter-town community networks and shared diversity initiatives.
- The legislation fails to provide specific state funding to assist the local municipalities with the transition, potentially straining local public service budgets.
Pros for Conservatives
- Realigning the districts geographically reduces wasteful government spending on inefficient, long-distance bus routes.
- Decentralizes the transportation network away from the Providence metro area (Region III), giving more localized control to the East Bay/Newport region.
- Enhancing route efficiency allows private busing contractors to optimize operations, supporting free-market principles in government contracting.
Cons for Conservatives
- The state government continues to mandate that local taxpayers fund transportation for students attending nonpublic and charter schools.
- Mandating a regional change forces local municipalities to restructure their existing transportation logistics, imposing an unnecessary administrative burden.
- Removing Warren and Bristol from Region III restricts the freedom of parents to choose schools in the Providence metro area, as they will no longer receive state-mandated busing there.
Constitutional Concerns
None Likely
Impact Overview
Groups Affected
- Students in Warren and Bristol
- Parents in Warren and Bristol
- School bus drivers
- Local school committees
- Charter and nonpublic schools in Regions III and V
Towns Affected
Warren, Bristol
Cost to Taxpayers
Amount unknown
Revenue Generated
None
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Regulatory
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Bill Status
Current Status
Held
Comm Passed
Floor Passed
Law
History
• 05/13/2026 Introduced, referred to House Finance
Bill Text
SECTION 1. Section 16-21.1-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-21.1 entitled "Transportation of School Pupils Beyond City and Town Limits [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows:
16-21.1-2. School bus districts established.
(a) There are hereby established school bus districts within the state to provide bus transportation in the interest of public safety, health, and welfare for pupils in grades kindergarten through twelve (12), or in special education programs, who attend public schools, including vocational schools and special education programs provided in accord with regulations of the board of regents for elementary and secondary education, consolidated schools, regional schools established under the provisions of § 16-3-1 et seq., or who participate in cooperative programs as provided by § 16-3.1-1 et seq., and nonpublic nonprofit schools which are consolidated, regionalized, or otherwise established to serve residents of a specific area within the state which schools satisfy the requirements of law for any of the grades of school, kindergarten through twelve (12), as follows:
(1) Region I: The towns of Burrillville, North Smithfield, and Cumberland, and the city of Woonsocket;
(2) Region II: The county of Kent, except the town of West Greenwich and the towns of Foster, Glocester, and Scituate;
(3) Region III: The towns of Lincoln, Smithfield, Johnston, North Providence, Barrington,Warren, and Bristol, and the cities of Cranston, Central Falls, East Providence, Pawtucket, and Providence;
(4) Region IV: The county of Washington and the towns of Jamestown and West Greenwich;
(5) Region V: The towns of Little Compton, Middletown, Portsmouth, Warren, Bristol, and Tiverton, and the city of Newport.
(b) A pupil attending a school, including a public school, vocational school, special education program provided in accord with regulations of the board of regents for elementary and secondary education, a regional school established under the provisions of § 16-3-1 et seq., as authorized by § 16-3.1-1 et seq., or a nonpublic nonprofit school for grades kindergarten through twelve (12), consolidated, regionalized, or otherwise established to serve residents of a specific area within the state for any of the grades of schools, kindergarten through twelve (12), in the interest of public safety, health, and welfare, shall be provided with bus transportation to the school or facility which the pupil attends, within the region in which the pupil resides, by the school committee of the city or town within which the pupil resides. The cost of transporting a pupil attending a charter school, the William M. Davies, Jr. Career and Technical High School (“Davies”), or the Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center (“the Met Center”) within the established region shall be charged to the receiving school at the same grade level transportation per pupil cost of the resident district. Districts may offer transportation to charter schools, Davies, or the Met Center outside the established region in order to facilitate efficiency provided there is not additional cost to the resident district.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026
16-21.1-2. School bus districts established.
(a) There are hereby established school bus districts within the state to provide bus transportation in the interest of public safety, health, and welfare for pupils in grades kindergarten through twelve (12), or in special education programs, who attend public schools, including vocational schools and special education programs provided in accord with regulations of the board of regents for elementary and secondary education, consolidated schools, regional schools established under the provisions of § 16-3-1 et seq., or who participate in cooperative programs as provided by § 16-3.1-1 et seq., and nonpublic nonprofit schools which are consolidated, regionalized, or otherwise established to serve residents of a specific area within the state which schools satisfy the requirements of law for any of the grades of school, kindergarten through twelve (12), as follows:
(1) Region I: The towns of Burrillville, North Smithfield, and Cumberland, and the city of Woonsocket;
(2) Region II: The county of Kent, except the town of West Greenwich and the towns of Foster, Glocester, and Scituate;
(3) Region III: The towns of Lincoln, Smithfield, Johnston, North Providence, Barrington,
(4) Region IV: The county of Washington and the towns of Jamestown and West Greenwich;
(5) Region V: The towns of Little Compton, Middletown, Portsmouth, Warren, Bristol, and Tiverton, and the city of Newport.
(b) A pupil attending a school, including a public school, vocational school, special education program provided in accord with regulations of the board of regents for elementary and secondary education, a regional school established under the provisions of § 16-3-1 et seq., as authorized by § 16-3.1-1 et seq., or a nonpublic nonprofit school for grades kindergarten through twelve (12), consolidated, regionalized, or otherwise established to serve residents of a specific area within the state for any of the grades of schools, kindergarten through twelve (12), in the interest of public safety, health, and welfare, shall be provided with bus transportation to the school or facility which the pupil attends, within the region in which the pupil resides, by the school committee of the city or town within which the pupil resides. The cost of transporting a pupil attending a charter school, the William M. Davies, Jr. Career and Technical High School (“Davies”), or the Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center (“the Met Center”) within the established region shall be charged to the receiving school at the same grade level transportation per pupil cost of the resident district. Districts may offer transportation to charter schools, Davies, or the Met Center outside the established region in order to facilitate efficiency provided there is not additional cost to the resident district.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026