§ 16-74-1 - Legislative findings. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 16-74-1

   § 16-74-1  Legislative findings. – (a) The current system of education financing does not provide for absoluteequity, does not account completely for individual student needs, and reliestoo heavily on the property tax, and the governor through executive order 92-9and the twenty-first century commission through its final report as endorsed bythe board of regents for elementary and secondary education has cited the needfor a guaranteed student entitlement program, it is enacted that thecommissioner of elementary and secondary education present to the generalassembly a new state aid education formula referred to as the "guaranteedstudent entitlement program", based on the definition of equity in schoolfunding in subsection (b).

   (b) "Equity" is defined as equal treatment of students andtaxpayers. It means that a sufficient amount of money is allocated to enableall students to achieve learner outcomes, and tax burdens shall be based onability to pay. It means that money spent for a child's education shall not bea function of district wealth, and that all students shall have the sameeducational opportunities. The quality of education provided must be a functionof statewide wealth.