LWVRI Position on Funding Public Education in Rhode Island
The League of Women Voters of Rhode Island believes that any method of financing public education should provide equality of opportunity for education through a system of taxation that is sufficient, equitable, flexible and coordinated among the different levels of government.
The LWVRI believes further that the best way to fund education in Rhode Island is to divide the cost between the state and the cities and towns. The state's total share of the funding of core instructional costs should be at least 50%. In determining the share that will be distributed to each city and town, the state should use a transparent formula that provides equitable funding for Rhode Island's school children and that takes into account community wealth and student poverty level.
CURRENT FUNDING STATUS
The House Committee on State Government and Elections will hold a hearing Tuesday, April 4th for H 5771 which proposes a constitutional amendment to provide all Rhode Island residents with a guarantee of equal educational opportunities that are “adequate, equitable and meaningful”. This resolution has already been passed by the senate. If passed by the House, the question would go to the voters of Rhode Island in 2024.
A Report about the RI Senate Commission, "Special Legislative Task Force to Study the RI Education Funding Formula"
This past fall (2019), a RI Senate Commission conducted a study of the current RI education funding formula. Most states have these formulas which provide state funds to support the current expenses of local public school systems. These formulas are promoted as equalizers of the local tax resources of local systems. Equity is often undermined however by the fact that the cities and towns which already have adequate property and income wealth still want state funds. This commission studied the current formula by holding five hearings during which the formula was explained by Dr. Kenneth Wong, Education Department Chair, Brown University, who developed the formula; Mr. Stephen Coleman, Chief, Division of Municipal Finance; and staff from the RI Department of Education. Other groups and citizens also were encouraged to present their views. The Task Force has presented a report of their findings and recommendations. The commission documents and January 2020 report.
The latest information about the RI Education Funding Formula is its calculation for FY 2021 by the RI Department of Education; see this link: https://www.ride.ri.gov/FundingFinance/FundingSources/StateEducationAid.aspx#32231125-funding-formula-supporting-calculations-and-documents
Then click on "FY 2021 Formula Calculations (4/16/2020)".
If you have any questions, contact Joanne DeVoe at joanned [at] qis.net.
RIPEC Reports on Changes to State Education Aid in FY 2024 State Budget|July 13, 2023
Students are leaving, but the money is not
Posted Friday, February 10, 2023 7:00 am
By Scott Pickering, EastBayRI, East Bay Media Group
Funding Formula Reference Guide, Spring 2018, updated 11/5/2021
Samuel Zurier (Senate District 3 - Prov, a former member of the Providence City Council, and Providence School Board) on Public School Finance in 2023
January 1 - overview of the State’s school aid funding formula
January 8 - the “core instruction budget”
January 15 - “student success factor”
January 22 - method for calculating the State share
After Ten Years: Education Finance in the Ocean State, April 2022, RIPEC
Current Legislation
Senate Bill No. 456
BY Pearson, Ruggerio, DiPalma, Cano, Gallo
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE EDUCATION EQUITY AND PROPERTY TAX RELIEF ACT (Amends the student success factor calculation of the state share ratio for foundation aid by accounting for English language in determining the state's share of foundation aid eligibility for each school district.)
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03/03/2023 Introduced, referred to Senate Finance
03/03/2023 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/07/2023)
03/07/2023 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
House Resolution No. 5771
BY Messier, Kislak, Fenton-Fung, Knight, Cortvriend, Morales, Ajello, Speakman, Biah, Sanchez
ENTITLED, JOINT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE, PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION -- RIGHT TO AN ADEQUATE EDUCATION (Amends the constitution to guarantee Rhode Island residents with equal opportunity to receive an education that is adequate, equitable and meaningful and provides judicial enforcement of this provision.)
{LC1345/1}
02/21/2023 Introduced, referred to House State Government & Elections
02/24/2023 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
02/27/2023 Committee postponed at request of sponsor (03/01/2023)
03/31/2023 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (04/05/2023)
04/05/2023 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
Senate Resolution No. 72
BY Picard, Quezada, Zurier, Gallo, Lawson
ENTITLED, JOINT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE, PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION -- RIGHT TO AN ADEQUATE EDUCATION (Amends the constitution to guarantee Rhode Island residents with equal opportunity to receive an education that is adequate, equitable and meaningful and provides judicial enforcement of this provision.)
{LC911/1}
02/01/2023 Introduced, referred to Senate Education
03/03/2023 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/08/2023)
03/08/2023 Committee recommends passage
03/10/2023 Placed on Senate Calendar (03/16/2023)
03/16/2023 Senate read and passed
HISTORY
At its 2009 Convention, the LWVRI decided the following : "The League of Women Voters of Rhode Island shall study the financing of elementary and secondary(k-12) education in Rhode Island to determine if it provides equality of opportunity for education through a system of taxation that is sufficient, equitable, flexible and coordinated among the different levels of government."
The LWVUS Principles (Pg. 10) state that "every person should have access to free public education that provides equal opportunity for all". Further, LWVUS Principles state that "efficient and economical government requires...adequate financing, and coordination among the different agencies and levels of government" and that "government should maintain an equitable and flexible system of taxation." The LWVRI study seeks to find ways to achieve these goals within the RI Constitution, which states in Article XII, Section I: It shall be the duty of the general assembly to promote public schools and public libraries, and to adopt all means which it may deem necessary and proper to secure to the people the advantages and opportunities of education and public library services.
Quality Education
The 2022-202 LWVUS Program (Pg. 134) included the phrase "equal access to quality education," reflecting League recognition that "equality" and "quality" are inseparable.
Funding for School Building Repair
Back in 2014, the Providence League became alarmed at the condition of Providence's public schools and declared it an Issue of Interest. As a result the RI League supported the 2018 State School Bond issue. The bond issue passed. The Providence League continues to monitor the issue. School Building Authority Reports (through October 12, 2024)
2/22/2023 City Council Meeting on School Building Repairs documents
Rebuild Providence Schools - 2022 Facility Reassessment - PPSD School Buildings Plan, February 2023
Classical High to get $34M in renovations
Linda Borg, Providence Journal, 8/31/2022
Commissioner's Memo to Friends of Education
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Facilities Equity Initiative
Providence Capital Plan Update January 11, 2022
Moving Forward: A Progress Report on Rhode Island School Construction
General Treasurer Seth Magaziner - April 2021
Interactive map of the status of Providence school building projects
Housing Aid Program (Funding School Building repairs and construction law)
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND SCHOOLHOUSES | Executive Summary | September 2017
Recommendations of the Rhode Island School Building Task Force
