Education

Bars the council from granting approval to create or expand a charter school beginning operations in 26-27 school year and bars the state from approving or appropriating funds to a new charter school not approved before July 1, 2025.

Mandates additional state education funding for the mental and behavioral health of students equal to 2% of the district’s total expenditures, and require those funds be used to hire staff such as school social workers, and behavioral specialists.

Mandates public schools (K-12) have one full-time certified social worker for every 250 students and allocates $2 million in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget for school districts and municipalities to hire additional social workers.

HB 7025 requires Rhode Island school committees to provide transportation for any student living two or more miles from their assigned school. This policy change directly affects school committees statewide and the students who reside at that distance from their school. The bill amends existing law to explicitly mandate this transportation service as a specific duty of school committees, adding it to their list of responsibilities under Section 16-2-9(21). The requirement applies to all public school districts and takes effect upon passage.