Bill > S0192

This bill requires the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to conduct a comprehensive review of the student success factor, which is a key component of the state's education funding formula that provides additional resources for high-need students. Specifically, the bill mandates that DESE evaluate whether the current 40% weight applied to the core instruction per-pupil amount for students from low-income families (defined as those at or below 185% of federal poverty guidelines) adequately supports local education agencies in meeting students' instructional needs. The department is required to complete this review and submit a report to the governor, senate president, and house speaker by October 1, 2025. This review is part of ongoing efforts to refine the state's education funding system, which already includes provisions for identifying high-need students through measures like SNAP participation and multilingual learner status. The bill builds on previous legislative attempts to ensure that the education funding formula accurately reflects the additional resources needed to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds, with the ultimate goal of promoting educational equity and providing adequate funding for schools serving high-need populations.

Budget and Finance

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