The Rhode Island League of Charter Public Schools urges members of the House of Representatives to reject the Senate’s harmful legislation, which would limit public school opportunities for thousands of Rhode Island’s children for years to come.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — In a disheartening move, the Rhode Island Senate voted 31 to 6 last night to permanently limit public school opportunities for generations of our state’s children. In passing S2787aa, the Senate has agreed to permanently lower the already-stringent cap on charter public schools, set a three-year moratorium on any charter public school opportunities, and maintain the unfair clawback on the approval of the De La Comunidad Bilingual School.
“The Senate’s passing of the charter public school ban is disappointing and ultimately, bad public policy,” said Chiara Deltito-Sharrott, Executive Director of the Rhode Island League of Charter Public Schools (RILCPS). “Supporters of the ban have been misrepresenting the legislation calling it a ‘pause,’ knowing full well that the bill contains language that makes immediate harmful changes. Nothing about this bill is good for Rhode Island’s K-12 families.”
In the version of the bill that was voted favorably by the Senate, legislators made a last-minute change to the bill, removing the original clawback that would have prevented The Greene School from moving forward with their already-approved middle school expansion, but unfairly, preserved the clawback of De La Comunidad Bilingual School.
Referring to both The Greene School and De La Comunidad Bilingual School, Deltito-Sharrott added, “We are also troubled by the inequitable treatment of two schools that participated in the same rigorous RFP process and were approved by the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education in January 2026.”
Paige Parks, Executive Director of Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, said, “Rhode Island KIDS COUNT supported the application of De La Comunidad Bilingual Charter School because it will help to meet the needs of MLLs paired with the services that full-service community schools offer. Students in families with limited English proficiency often have a harder time accessing health care and other social services, and De La Comunidad’s proposed full-service community school model would help meet the needs of the whole child and family.”
There is an urgent need to close wide and unacceptable disparities in education opportunities and outcomes for Multilingual Learners (MLL). Between 2010 and 2020, Rhode Island experienced the highest growth rate of MLL students in the nation. In the 2024-2025 school year in Rhode Island, MLL students were 16% (20,886) of the total student population. Our schools are not fully prepared to handle this demographic shift.
In October 2025, only 1% (122) of Rhode Island public school teachers and instructional coordinators held an active Bilingual, Dual Language, or English to Speakers of Other Languages certification. We commend the Rhode Island General Assembly for improvements it has made over the years to the education funding formula to increase funding for MLLs and make it more predictable for schools- but there is still more to do.”
The Senate’s support of this harmful legislation is particularly troubling considering the fact that Rhode Island’s charter public schools are held to the highest accountability of any public school in the state, and due to this stringent oversight, they’ve supported their students, the over 85% students of color in their schools achieve some of the highest academic outcomes in Rhode Island.
“Action by the Senate to impose a retroactive moratorium on charter school expansion is not in the best interests of students or families, ” said Michael DiBiase, RIPEC President and CEO. “Charter public schools have been one of the bright spots in Rhode Island’s K-12 system, and both RIPEC’s own research and national evidence show that charter students generally achieve stronger outcomes than their peers in traditional public schools. These results are particularly important because charter schools primarily serve students from Rhode Island’s lowest-performing districts. Reversing decisions that have already been made through a rigorous review process undermines confidence in that process and limits opportunities for students. Instead of restricting access to schools that are producing strong results, the General Assembly’s focus should be on raising achievement across all public schools.”
“Every day is a valuable learning opportunity that should not be squandered,” said Parks. “No parent should have to beg for their child to get an education that meets their needs. And no student should be required to wait years to get access to an education we know they will need to succeed in the future. Every day that we wait is another day that we fail kids and ourselves.”.
“Charter public schools exist to strengthen public education in our state by helping students find a public school that is right for them,” said Lauren Matlach, Deputy Director of RILCPS. “The majority of Rhode Island voters want to see an expansion of educational opportunities across our state, but with tonight’s vote, the Senate has moved Rhode Island in the opposite direction. And for what? To protect the status quo at the expense of children’s futures. Limiting public school opportunities ignores what families want statewide and disproportionately impacts students and families who have no other options outside the public education system.”
About Rhode Island League of Charter Public Schools:
Founded in 2001, the Rhode Island League of Charter Public Schools (RILCPS or “the League”) is a 501(c)(3) membership organization dedicated to ensuring that Rhode Island students and families have access to high-quality public schools. As the leading voice of the state’s charter public schools, the League supports its members through collaboration, resource-sharing, technical assistance, and advocacy on behalf of students and families statewide.
About Rhode Island KIDS COUNT
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT advances equitable policies that improve the lives of all Rhode Island children and eliminate disparities through the power of data, advocacy, and civic action.
About The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC):
The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council is a nonpartisan and nonprofit public policy research organization dedicated to advancing fiscally responsible government, competitive tax policies, and economic opportunities for all in Rhode Island.
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Media Contact (For RILCPS)
Lynzi DeLuccia, Half Street Group
401.787.8666 | lynzi@halfstreetgroup.com