(a)  There is hereby established a seven (7) member board of trustees, which shall govern the Central Falls School District. With the exception of those powers and duties reserved by 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. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the commissioner of elementary and secondary education, as the executive agent of the board of regents for elementary and secondary education, is authorized to exercise in whole or in part care, control, and management over the public schools of the Central Falls school district within the scope of authority of the board of trustees and board of regents, whenever the commissioner deems such intervention to be necessary and appropriate.

Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

(b)  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, provided however, that at least four (4) of the members shall be residents of the city and parents of current or former Central Falls public school students. The remaining three (3) shall be appointed at large.

(c)  The board of regents shall provide parameters for overall budget requests, approve the budget, and otherwise participate in budget development.

(d)  The commissioner of elementary and secondary education shall recommend parameters for overall budget requests, recommend a budget, and otherwise participate in budget development.

(e)  The commissioner shall approve the process for selection of the superintendent.

(f)  The board of trustees shall meet monthly and serve without compensation. The board of trustees shall have broad policy making authority for the operation of the school, as well as the following powers and duties:

(1)  To identify the educational needs of the district;

(2)  To develop educational policies to meet the needs of students in the school district;

(3)  To appoint a superintendent to serve as its chief executive officer and to approve assistant and associate superintendents from nominations made by the superintendent;

(4)  To provide policy guidance and otherwise participate in budget development; and

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

(g)  The superintendent shall 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, however, that the terms and conditions of employment are subject to the approval of the board of regents for elementary and secondary education.

(h)  It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent to manage and operate the school on a day-to-day basis. The superintendent’s duties shall include the following:

(1)  To be responsible for the care, supervision, and management of the schools;

(2)  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;

(3)  To present nominations to the board of trustees for assistant and associate superintendents and to appoint all other school personnel;

(4)  To provide for the evaluation of all school district personnel;

(5)  To establish a school based management approach for decision making for the operation of the school;

(6)  To prepare a budget and otherwise participate in budget development as required, and to authorize purchases consistent with the adopted school district budget;

(7)  To report to the board of trustees, on a regular basis, the financial condition and operation of the schools, and to report annually on the educational progress of the schools;

(8)  To establish appropriate advisory committees as needed to provide guidance on new directions and feedback on the operation of the schools;

(9)  With policy guidance from the board of trustees and extensive involvement of the administrators and faculty in the school, to annually prepare a budget. The board of trustees shall 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 superintendent; and

(10)  To negotiate, along with the chairperson of the board of trustees and his or her appointed designee, all district employment contracts, which contracts shall be subject to the approval of the commissioner of elementary and secondary education with the concurrence of the board of regents.

(i)  Nothing in this section shall be deemed to limit or otherwise interfere with the rights of teachers and other school employees to bargain collectively pursuant to chapters 9.3 and 9.4 of title 28, to exercise rights afforded under any statute including, but not limited to, Title 16, or to allow the commissioner, board of trustees or the superintendent to abrogate any agreement by collective bargaining.

(j)  The appointment of the special state administrator for the Central Falls School District and the Central Falls School District Advisory Group, created by chapter 312 of the Rhode Island Public Laws of 1991, will no longer be in effect upon the selection and appointment of the board of trustees created in this section. All powers and duties of the special state administrator and the Central Falls School District Advisory Group are hereby transferred and assigned to the board of trustees created in this section, upon the selection and appointment of that board.