Charter School Law Revamped

Charter School Law Revamped

Gov. Don Carcieri has approved a revamping of state law on charter schools that raises the cap on the number of such schools from 20 to 35.

“Enacting this legislation will encourage the creation and expansion of public charter schools in Rhode Island,” said state Rep. Agostinho Silva, D-Central Falls and a sponsor of the House bill.

“And in turn that will create new opportunities for innovation in learning and new alternatives in learning for parents and their school-age children,” Silva added. “At the same time, through consistent standards we are going to significantly improve the quality of education that all students at our state’s charter schools receive.”

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Overall, the changes will improve the structure for founding, running, and funding charter schools in the state.

The new law also requires that half of the total number of charter schools in the state be reserved for schools that focus on at-risk students. And it reaffirms that teachers and administrators at charters will make the prevailing wages and benefits that their peers do at other public schools.

The state currently has 13 charter schools, according to the Rhode Island League of Charter Schools.