PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A package of education reform bills backed by Rhode Island’s General Assembly received mostly positive reactions but raised funding questions.
The bills unveiled Tuesday would comprehensively change the state’s educational system.
The Providence Journal reports that test results showed Rhode Island students trailing far behind Massachusetts students last year, despite a decade of reforms.
Rhode Island School Superintendents Association executive director, Tim Ryan, says the bill’s intention is positive, but school chronically underfunded by local taxes will need significant resources to catch up.
John Simmons, executive director of the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council, helped design the reforms and says this legislation differs from past changes because it is system-wide rather than a one-off reform.
Others say the legislation is a good start but the school funding formula needs to be re-examined.
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