§ 16-45-6. Powers additional to previous authority.
(a) The powers delegated and authorized in this chapter for the board of regents for elementary
and secondary education and the department of elementary and secondary education shall
be in addition to those previously authorized by any other general or public law.
(b) The governance, funding, and programming of the William M. Davies, Jr. vocational
technical school and the Metropolitan Career and Technical School shall be in accordance
with the rules and regulations formulated by the board of regents for elementary and
secondary education pursuant to chapter 35 of title 42. Provided, however, the additional appropriation by the General Assembly in fiscal
year 2005 for the William M. Davies, Jr. Vocational Technical School shall be used
to fund sixty (60) additional placements. Forty (40) of those placements shall be
made available to students from the City of Providence.
(c) The purpose of this chapter is to restructure the system of career and technical schools
in Rhode Island for the benefit of the students, the economy, and the general welfare.
The paramount aim is to enable the schools to make more significant contributions
in providing the state's students with the career preparation they need to compete
and succeed in the world of today and of the future. To ensure student success, a
system of model career and technical schools will be established and supported. These
schools will provide: integrated academic and vocational curricula, up to date technology,
programs to meet the varying needs of all students, and strong links to business,
industry, postsecondary education, and the community.
(d)(1) There shall be a system of state operated career and technical schools serving geographic
areas of the state. Students attending these regional schools will do so on a full
time basis with the costs for their education at the regional school being shared
by the state and the district of residence as described in § 16-7.2-5. State schools currently participating in the state retirement system that are not
receiving reimbursement pursuant to § 16-16-22 shall have their state aid adjusted to reflect full reimbursement for expenses related
to employer retirement contributions for those staff employed by the state.
(2) These schools shall be operated as local education agencies and each shall be governed
by a board of trustees. With the exception of those powers and duties reserved by
the director, 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. The Davies school shall be the first school
operated under the provisions of this chapter and shall be renamed the William M.
Davies, Jr. career and technical high school. The Metropolitan Career and Technical
School shall be the second school operated under the provisions of this chapter.
(e)(1) 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. The board of trustees will be broadly representative of
the local communities served by each school and the larger statewide workforce interests.
(2) The board of regents shall establish strategic directions for the career and technical
education system that are consistent with the state's economic development plans,
workforce requirements, and educational priorities and learner outcomes established
by the board of regents.
(3) The board of regents shall provide parameters for the overall budget requests, approve
the budget, and participate in budget development as required in subsection (i).
(f)(1) The commissioner of elementary and secondary education shall recommend parameters
for the overall budget requests, recommend a budget and participate in budget development
as required in subsection (i).
(2) The commissioner shall approve the process for selection of a director of each regional
school. The commissioner shall develop a plan for statewide implementation of the
provisions of this chapter.
(g) The board of trustees shall meet monthly and serve without compensation. Nine (9)
members of the board of trustees shall be required to attend teacher appeal hearings
conducted pursuant to § 16-13-4. The board of trustees shall have broad policy making authority for the operation
of the school consistent with subsection (e) and the following powers and duties:
(1) To identify the educational needs of the communities in the district.
(2) To develop educational policies to meet the needs of students in the communities served
by the school district.
(3) To appoint a director of its regional school to serve as its chief executive officer
and to approve assistant and associate directors from nominations made by the director.
(4) To provide policy guidance and participate in budget development as required in subsection
(i).
(5) To develop staffing policies which ensure that all students are taught by educators
of the highest possible quality.
(h)(1) The director will 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, that the
term and conditions of employment are subject to the approval of the board of regents
for elementary and secondary education.
(2) It is the responsibility of the director to manage and operate the school on a day
to day basis. The director's duties shall include the following:
(i) To be responsible for the entire care, supervision, and management of the career and
technical high school.
(ii) 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.
(iii) To present nominations to the board of trustees for assistant and associate directors
and to appoint all other school personnel.
(iv) To provide for the evaluation of all school district personnel.
(v) To establish a school based management approach for decision making for the operation
of the school.
(vi) To prepare a budget and participate in budget development as required in subsection
(i), and to authorize purchases consistent with the adopted school district budget.
(vii) To report to the board of trustees on a regular basis the financial condition and
operation of the school, and to report annually on the educational progress of the
school.
(viii) To establish appropriate advisory committees as needed to provide guidance on new
directions and feedback on the operation of the school.
(i) With policy guidance from the board of trustees and extensive involvement of the administrators
and faculty in the school, the director of each regional school shall annually prepare
a budget. The board of trustees will 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 director.
(j) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to limit or interfere with the rights of teachers
and other school employees to bargain collectively pursuant to chapters 9.3 and 9.4
of title 28 or to allow the board of trustees or the director to abrogate any agreement
by collective bargaining. Employees at the William M. Davies school shall continue
to be state employees and the bargaining units which are presently established at
the school shall remain intact.
(k) Any tuition payments, which are made to the William M. Davies Career and Technical
high school from the district of residence of its students, as authorized in R.I.G.L. § 16-7.2-5, shall be deposited into a restricted receipt account to be used for the same educational
purposes that its state appropriation is used. Any such funds shall be exempt from
the indirect cost recovery provisions of § 35-4-7.