PROVIDENCE — Cities and towns are a step closer to determining if a charter school can set up shop in their municipalities after the State House of Representatives passed bill 2015-H-5160 by an overwhelming 62-11 vote Wednesday evening, June 24.
The bill submitted by West Warwick Democrat Patricia Serpa as well as East Providence Rep. Helio Melo (D-District 64) states any so-called “‘mayoral academy’ charter school application shall not be approved by the (state) board of education unless the school committee and the applicable city or town council of each included municipality supports the mayoral academy’s charter school application. Such support shall be provided either by resolution or ordinance, after at least one public hearing.”
Supporters of the bill said it would not preclude any new charter schools from coming on line, but it would allow for local input on their creation while legislators and administrators review the current funding formula for all schools.
As it stands now, charters are approved at the state level but the fees required to pay for a student to attend are taken from the pool of money cities and towns use to fund education, i.e. state aid and property taxes.
“The State of Rhode Island pays 35 percent of the total cost of education, which means cities and towns pay the other 65 percent. If we ask them to use property taxes to pay 65 percent of the cost and don’t give them a say, that seems to me to be ridiculous,” East Providence Rep. Gregg Amore (D-District 65) said on the House floor in support of the bill.
Rep. Amore called the choices school districts make, like cutting sports and other extracurricular activities, “real issues. He added, “those who make the town budgets should have a say” in how the money is allocated.
Rep. Amore also came to the defense of Rep. Serpa, whose bill was castigated by the chief of staff to Governor Gina Raimondo, Kevin Gallagher, during a recent appearance at an event sponsored by the Latino Policy Institute.
Mr. Gallagher was quoted in the Providence Journal as telling the audience, “Whatever your position is on the funding formula it’s preposterous that affluent communities are complaining that poor black and brown students are stealing their money.”
Rep. Amore took umbrage with the comment, noting both East Providence and Rep. Serpa’s West Warwick were far from wealthy locales.
“Many non-affluent communities support this legislation,” Mr. Amore said, adding Mr. Gallagher had “lost the argument” and was reduced to “hyperbole and misdirection.”
Another local rep, Joy Hearn (D-District 66, East Providence, Barrington) was one of the few opposed to the legislation. Mrs. Hearn said while she agrees funding of charter schools and the formula in general needs to be changed, she was backing the “14,000 children on waiting lists” to enter charter schools by opposing the bill.
The Rhode Island Senate passed its version of the bill the previous evening, June 23, by a similarly one-side vote, 29-7. The upper chamber will likely entertain the House version of the bill as well.
Gov. Raimondo has stated publicly she would not support any legislation she deems would prohibit the growth of charter schools. This week’s votes, however, likely mean the legislation is veto-proof.
Approximately 100 students from East Providence attend charter schools out of district.