§ 16-45-6 - Powers additional to previous authority. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 16-45-6

   § 16-45-6  Powers additional to previousauthority. – (a) The powers delegated and authorized in this chapter for the board ofregents for elementary and secondary education and the department of elementaryand secondary education shall be in addition to those previously authorized byany other general or public law.

   (b) The governance, funding, and programming of the WilliamM. Davies, Jr. vocational technical school and the Metropolitan Career andTechnical School shall be in accordance with the rules and regulationsformulated by the board of regents for elementary and secondary educationpursuant to chapter 35 of title 42. Provided, however, the additionalappropriation 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 availableto students from the City of Providence.

   (c) The purpose of this chapter is to restructure the systemof career and technical schools in Rhode Island for the benefit of thestudents, the economy, and the general welfare. The paramount aim is to enablethe schools to make more significant contributions in providing the state'sstudents with the career preparation they need to compete and succeed in theworld of today and of the future. To ensure student success, a system of modelcareer and technical schools will be established and supported. These schoolswill provide: integrated academic and vocational curricula, up to datetechnology, programs to meet the varying needs of all students, and stronglinks to business, industry, postsecondary education, and the community.

   (d) There shall be a system of state operated career andtechnical schools serving geographic areas of the state. Students attendingthese regional schools will do so on a full time basis with the costs for theireducation at the regional school fully funded by the state.

   (2) These schools shall be operated as local educationagencies and each shall be governed by a board of trustees. With the exceptionof those powers and duties reserved by the director, the commissioner ofelementary and secondary education, and the board of regents for elementary andsecondary education, the board of trustees shall have the powers and duties ofschool committees. The Davies school shall be the first school operated underthe provisions of this chapter and shall be renamed the William M. Davies, Jr.career and technical high school. The Metropolitan Career and Technical Schoolshall be the second school operated under the provisions of this chapter.

   (e) The board of regents for elementary and secondaryeducation shall appoint the members of the board of trustees from nominationsmade by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education. The chairpersonshall also be selected in this manner. The board of regents shall determine thenumber, qualifications, and terms of office of members of the board oftrustees. The board of trustees will be broadly representative of the localcommunities served by each school and the larger statewide workforce interests.

   (2) The board of regents shall establish strategic directionsfor the career and technical education system that are consistent with thestate's economic development plans, workforce requirements, and educationalpriorities and learner outcomes established by the board of regents.

   (3) The board of regents shall provide parameters for theoverall budget requests, approve the budget, and participate in budgetdevelopment as required in subsection (i).

   (f) The commissioner of elementary and secondary educationshall recommend parameters for the overall budget requests, recommend a budgetand participate in budget development as required in subsection (i).

   (2) The commissioner shall approve the process for selectionof a director of each regional school. The commissioner shall develop a planfor statewide implementation of the provisions of this chapter.

   (g) The board of trustees shall meet monthly and servewithout compensation. Nine (9) members of the board of trustees shall berequired to attend teacher appeal hearings conducted pursuant to §16-13-4. The board of trustees shall have broad policy making authority for theoperation of the school consistent with subsection (e) and the following powersand duties:

   (1) To identify the educational needs of the communities inthe district.

   (2) To develop educational policies to meet the needs ofstudents in the communities served by the school district.

   (3) To appoint a director of its regional school to serve asits chief executive officer and to approve assistant and associate directorsfrom nominations made by the director.

   (4) To provide policy guidance and participate in budgetdevelopment as required in subsection (i).

   (5) To develop staffing policies which ensure that allstudents are taught by educators of the highest possible quality.

   (h) The director will serve at the pleasure of the board oftrustees 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 tothe approval of the board of regents for elementary and secondary education.

   (2) It is the responsibility of the director to manage andoperate the school on a day to day basis. The director's duties shall includethe following:

   (i) To be responsible for the entire care, supervision, andmanagement of the career and technical high school.

   (ii) To recommend to the board of trustees educationalpolicies to meet the needs of the district, and to implement policiesestablished by the board of trustees.

   (iii) To present nominations to the board of trustees forassistant and associate directors and to appoint all other school personnel.

   (iv) To provide for the evaluation of all school districtpersonnel.

   (v) To establish a school based management approach fordecision making for the operation of the school.

   (vi) To prepare a budget and participate in budgetdevelopment as required in subsection (i), and to authorize purchasesconsistent with the adopted school district budget.

   (vii) To report to the board of trustees on a regular basisthe financial condition and operation of the school, and to report annually onthe educational progress of the school.

   (viii) To establish appropriate advisory committees as neededto provide guidance on new directions and feedback on the operation of theschool.

   (i) With policy guidance from the board of trustees andextensive involvement of the administrators and faculty in the school, thedirector of each regional school shall annually prepare a budget. The board oftrustees will approve the budget and transmit it to the commissioner. The boardof regents for elementary and secondary education, upon recommendation of thecommissioner of elementary and secondary education, shall provide parametersfor the overall budget request. Based on review and recommendation by thecommissioner, the board of regents shall approve the total budget andincorporate it into its budget request to the governor and to the generalassembly. Line item budgeting decisions shall be the responsibility of thedirector.

   (j) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to limit orinterfere with the rights of teachers and other school employees to bargaincollectively pursuant to chapters 9.3 and 9.4 of title 28 or to allow the boardof trustees or the director to abrogate any agreement by collective bargaining.Employees at the William M. Davies school shall continue to be state employeesand the bargaining units which are presently established at the school shallremain intact.