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

HB 7023 would have restructured governance for Rhode Island's Urban Collaborative, requiring it to be led by a five-member board of trustees instead of its previous structure. The board would include the Providence superintendent (or designee), representatives from other participating districts, and members appointed by the education council. Key provisions would have transferred state education funding directly to the collaborative (rather than local districts) and allowed it to receive federal aid, grants, and Medicaid revenue as if it were a single school district. This would have affected Providence, Pawtucket, East Providence, Central Falls, and other participating urban school districts collaborating on alternative education programs. The bill was introduced in January 2026 but withdrawn the same month.