§ 16-3.1-21. YouthBuild Preparatory Academy.
(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, the
school committees of the cities of Providence and Central Falls are authorized and
empowered to initiate and implement cooperative efforts, including, but not limited
to, collaborative use of technology, to provide an alternative, diploma-granting secondary
education program to be known as the YouthBuild Preparatory Academy (hereinafter "academy�)
for their respective resident students ages fourteen (14) to twenty-one (21) who are
achieving limited success in traditional settings.
(1) The purpose of this section is to further enable the school committees of the cities
of Providence and Central Falls:
(i) To support students at risk of school failure, with a special focus on the diverse
needs of urban students, to create an environment for individual growth, and to cultivate
social and emotional development;
(ii) To offer a rigorous and relevant standards-driven, experiential learning community,
and to provide college and career preparatory education based on guided, project-based
core curriculum with an emphasis on education, human services, and community development;
and
(iii) To provide an alternative learning environment for disconnected and at-risk students
desiring to complete their academic careers in a setting that offers comprehensive
support services, accelerated academic curriculum, leadership development, and life
skills that will enable them to become resilient, self-sufficient adults.
(2) The YouthBuild Preparatory Academy shall be operated under the provisions of this
chapter. Students attending the YouthBuild Preparatory Academy will do so on a full-time
basis with the costs for their education at the academy being shared by the state
and the district of residence as described in § 16-7.2-5.
(3) The YouthBuild Preparatory Academy shall be governed by a board of trustees; with
the exception of those powers and duties reserved by the commissioner of elementary
and secondary education, the board of education, and the school committees of the
cities of Providence and Central Falls, the board of trustees shall have the powers
and duties of school committees.
(4) Composition of the board of trustees. The board of trustees of the YouthBuild Preparatory Academy shall consist of:
(i) One appointee of the board of trustees of the Central Falls school district;
(ii) One appointee of the school board of the city of Providence; and
(iii) The council on elementary and secondary education shall appoint the remaining members
of the board of trustees of the YouthBuild Preparatory Academy with input from the
commissioner of elementary and secondary education. Prior to enrolling students, the
board of trustees shall present a plan for the governance, administration, and operation
of the YouthBuild Preparatory Academy, including the nature and extent of parental,
professional educator, and community involvement in the governance and operation of
the YouthBuild Preparatory Academy, and the means of ensuring accountability, to the
commissioner, the Providence and Central Falls school districts, and the council on
elementary and secondary education.
(5) The academy authorized under this section shall be subject to educational and financial
standards and reporting as deemed necessary by the department of elementary and secondary
education.
(b) The YouthBuild Preparatory Academy shall be eligible to receive other aid, grants,
Medicaid revenue, and any other revenue according to Rhode Island law, as though it
is a school district. Federal aid received by the state shall be used to benefit students
in the YouthBuild Preparatory Academy, if the school qualifies for the aid, as though
it is a school district.