§ 16-2-34. Central Falls School District board of trustees.
(a) There is hereby established a seven (7) member board of trustees, which shall govern
the Central Falls School District. With the exception of those powers and duties reserved
by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education, and the board of regents
for elementary and secondary education, the board of trustees shall have the powers
and duties of school committees. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary,
the commissioner of elementary and secondary education, as the executive agent of
the board of regents for elementary and secondary education, is authorized to exercise
in whole or in part care, control, and management over the public schools of the Central
Falls school district within the scope of authority of the board of trustees and board
of regents, whenever the commissioner deems such intervention to be necessary and
appropriate.
(b) The board of regents for elementary and secondary education shall appoint the members
of the board of trustees from nominations made by the commissioner of elementary and
secondary education. The chairperson shall also be selected in this manner. The board
of regents shall determine the number, qualifications, and terms of office of members
of the board of trustees, provided however, that at least four (4) of the members
shall be residents of the city and parents of current or former Central Falls public
school students. The remaining three (3) shall be appointed at large.
(c) The board of regents shall provide parameters for overall budget requests, approve
the budget, and otherwise participate in budget development.
(d) The commissioner of elementary and secondary education shall recommend parameters
for overall budget requests, recommend a budget, and otherwise participate in budget
development.
(e) The commissioner shall approve the process for selection of the superintendent.
(f) The board of trustees shall meet monthly and serve without compensation. The board
of trustees shall have broad policy making authority for the operation of the school,
as well as the following powers and duties:
(1) To identify the educational needs of the district;
(2) To develop educational policies to meet the needs of students in the school district;
(3) To appoint a superintendent to serve as its chief executive officer and to approve
assistant and associate superintendents from nominations made by the superintendent;
(4) To provide policy guidance and otherwise participate in budget development; and
(5) To develop staffing policies which ensure that all students are taught by educators
of the highest possible quality.
(g) The superintendent shall serve at the pleasure of the board of trustees with the initial
appointment to be for a period of not more than three (3) years; provided, however,
that the terms and conditions of employment are subject to the approval of the board
of regents for elementary and secondary education.
(h) It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent to manage and operate the school
on a day-to-day basis. The superintendent's duties shall include the following:
(1) To be responsible for the care, supervision, and management of the schools;
(2) To recommend to the board of trustees educational policies to meet the needs of the
district, and to implement policies established by the board of trustees;
(3) To present nominations to the board of trustees for assistant and associate superintendents
and to appoint all other school personnel;
(4) To provide for the evaluation of all school district personnel;
(5) To establish a school based management approach for decision making for the operation
of the school;
(6) To prepare a budget and otherwise participate in budget development as required, and
to authorize purchases consistent with the adopted school district budget;
(7) To report to the board of trustees, on a regular basis, the financial condition and
operation of the schools, and to report annually on the educational progress of the
schools;
(8) To establish appropriate advisory committees as needed to provide guidance on new
directions and feedback on the operation of the schools;
(9) With policy guidance from the board of trustees and extensive involvement of the administrators
and faculty in the school, to annually prepare a budget. The board of trustees shall
approve the budget and transmit it to the commissioner. The board of regents for elementary
and secondary education, upon recommendation of the commissioner of elementary and
secondary education, shall provide parameters for the overall budget request. Based
on review and recommendation by the commissioner, the board of regents shall approve
the total budget and incorporate it into its budget request to the governor and to
the general assembly. Line item budgeting decisions shall be the responsibility of
the superintendent; and
(10) To negotiate, along with the chairperson of the board of trustees and his or her appointed
designee, all district employment contracts, which contracts shall be subject to the
approval of the commissioner of elementary and secondary education with the concurrence
of the board of regents.
(i) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to limit or otherwise interfere with the rights
of teachers and other school employees to bargain collectively pursuant to chapters
9.3 and 9.4 of title 28, to exercise rights afforded under any statute including,
but not limited to, Title 16, or to allow the commissioner, board of trustees or the
superintendent to abrogate any agreement by collective bargaining.
(j) The appointment of the special state administrator for the Central Falls School District
and the Central Falls School District Advisory Group, created by chapter 312 of the
Rhode Island Public Laws of 1991, will no longer be in effect upon the selection and
appointment of the board of trustees created in this section. All powers and duties
of the special state administrator and the Central Falls School District Advisory
Group are hereby transferred and assigned to the board of trustees created in this
section, upon the selection and appointment of that board.