AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- COOPERATIVE SERVICE AMONG SCHOOL DISTRICTS

HB 5593 changes how the Urban Collaborative - a partnership of school districts including Providence, Pawtucket, East Providence, and Central Falls - is governed. It requires the Collaborative to be managed by a board of trustees with specific members: the Providence superintendent, superintendents from other participating districts, and appointees from the council on education. The bill also clarifies that participating districts must transfer state and local education funding directly to the Collaborative, treating it like a school district for all funding purposes. This affects the participating school districts and their ability to coordinate services like alternate education programs. The bill takes effect upon passage.