§ 16-19-2 - Approval of private schools – Requirements – Review. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 16-19-2

   § 16-19-2  Approval of private schools– Requirements – Review. – For the purposes of this chapter a private school or at-home instruction shallbe approved only when it complies with the following requirements: (1) that theperiod of attendance of the pupils in the school or in the home instruction issubstantially equal to that required by law in public schools; (2) thatregisters are kept and returned to the school committee, the superintendent ofschools, truant officers, and the department of elementary and secondaryeducation in relation to the attendance of pupils, and are made the same asregisters kept by the public schools; (3) that reading, writing, geography,arithmetic, the history of the United States, the history of Rhode Island, andthe principles of American government shall be taught in the English languagesubstantially to the same extent as these subjects are required to be taught inthe public schools, and that the teaching of the English language and of othersubjects indicated in this section shall be thorough and efficient; provided,however, that nothing contained in this section shall be construed or operateto deny the right to teach in private schools or in at-home instruction any ofthe subjects or any other subject in any other language in addition to theteaching in English as prescribed in this section; provided, further, that anyinterested person resident in any city or town aggrieved by the action of theschool committee of the city or town either in approving or refusing to approveat-home instruction may appeal the action to the department of elementary andsecondary education. The department of elementary and secondary education,after notice to the parties interested of the time and place of a hearing,shall examine and decide the appeal without cost to the parties. Thecommissioner of elementary and secondary education shall also grant a hearingto any party aggrieved by a refusal to approve a private school pursuant to§ 16-60-6(10). The decision of the board of regents for elementary andsecondary education shall, if an appeal is made to the board, be final.