reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
RI Gen L § 16-2-5 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 16 - Education|Chapter 16-2 - School Committees and Superintendents [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]|Section 16-2-5 - Composition of city or town school committees - Election and terms of members - Vacancies.

§ 16-2-5. Composition of city or town school committees — Election and terms of members — Vacancies.The school committee of each city or town shall consist of three (3) residents of the city or town, or of any number as at the present time constitute the committee. In cities or towns having annual elections of city or town officers the committee shall be divided as equally as may be into three (3) classes whose several terms of office shall expire at the end of three (3) years from the dates of their respective elections. In cities or towns having biennial elections the committee shall be divided as equally as may be into two (2) classes whose several terms of office shall expire at the end of four (4) years from the dates of their respective elections. As the office of each class shall become vacant, the vacancy or vacancies shall be filled by the city or town at its regular city or town meeting for the election of state or city or town officers, or by the city or town council at its next meeting after this. In case of a vacancy by death, resignation, or otherwise than as is provided in this section, the vacancy shall be filled by the city or town council until the next regular city or town meeting for the election of state or city or town officers, when it shall be filled for the unexpired term as is provided in this section. This section shall not apply to the cities of Providence, Central Falls, Woonsocket, or the Town of North Smithfield.History of Section.G.L. 1896, ch. 54, § 7; G.L. 1909, ch. 66, § 4; G.L. 1923, ch. 69, § 4; P.L. 1925, ch. 680, § 16; P.L. 1926, ch. 889, § 15; G.L. 1938, ch. 179, § 4; G.L. 1956, § 16-2-5; P.L. 1988, ch. 84, § 71; P.L. 2015, ch. 1, § 3; P.L. 2015, ch. 4, § 3.
RI Gen L § 16-2-5.1 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 16 - Education|Chapter 16-2 - School Committees and Superintendents [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]|Section 16-2-5.1 - Professional development.

§ 16-2-5.1. Professional development.(a) The Rhode Island College in cooperation with the Rhode Island association of school committees shall develop a professional development educational program for Rhode Island school committees, that will include instruction in labor and labor relations, negotiating collective bargaining agreements, employee contract analysis, school finance, school law; duties and responsibilities of the committee, duties and responsibilities of the superintendent, ethics, the requirements of the open meetings law, student achievement, strategic planning, educational standards, student assessment, school accountability, data interpretation and analysis, collaboration building, advocacy, annual performance evaluation of the school superintendent and the local school committee, and any other topics as the Rhode Island association of school committees may deem to be necessary.(b) In conformity with § 16-60-4(15), the board of regents for elementary and secondary education shall approve the professional development program and create a process for recognizing school committee members that successfully complete the program in part or in whole.History of Section.P.L. 1994, ch. 309, § 1; P.L. 2003, ch. 317, § 1; P.L. 2003, ch. 343, § 1; P.L. 2004, ch. 127, § 1; P.L. 2004, ch. 476, § 1; P.L. 2007, ch. 335, § 1.
RI Gen L § 16-2-6 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 16 - Education|Chapter 16-2 - School Committees and Superintendents [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]|Section 16-2-6 - Chairperson and clerk of city or town committee.

§ 16-2-6. Chairperson and clerk of city or town committee.The school committee of each city or town shall choose a chairperson and clerk, either of whom may sign any orders or official papers, and may be removed at the pleasure of the committee. The clerk, under the direction of the committee, shall keep a journal of the proceedings of the committee.History of Section.G.L. 1896, ch. 60, § 1; G.L. 1909, ch. 67, § 1; G.L. 1923, ch. 70, § 1; P.L. 1927, ch. 982, § 1; G.L. 1938, ch. 178, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 16-2-6.
RI Gen L § 16-2-7 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 16 - Education|Chapter 16-2 - School Committees and Superintendents [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]|Section 16-2-7 - Distribution of documents and blanks by clerk.

§ 16-2-7. Distribution of documents and blanks by clerk.The clerk of the school committee, when required by the department of elementary and secondary education, shall distribute any school documents and blanks as shall be sent to the clerk to the persons for whom they are intended.History of Section.G.L. 1896, ch. 54, § 12; G.L. 1909, ch. 66, § 14; P.L. 1922, ch. 2234, § 10; G.L. 1923, ch. 70, § 11; G.L. 1938, ch. 178, § 11; impl. am. P.L. 1951, ch. 2752, § 21; G.L. 1956, § 16-2-7.
RI Gen L § 16-2-8 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 16 - Education|Chapter 16-2 - School Committees and Superintendents [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]|Section 16-2-8 - Regular meetings of committee.

§ 16-2-8. Regular meetings of committee.The school committee of each city or town shall hold at least four (4) regular meetings in every year, at a time and place within the city or town as the committee shall by general order fix and determine.History of Section.G.L. 1896, ch. 60, § 2; G.L. 1909, ch. 67, § 2; G.L. 1923, ch. 70, § 2; G.L. 1938, ch. 178, § 2; G.L. 1956, § 16-2-8.
RI Gen L § 16-2-9.1 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 16 - Education|Chapter 16-2 - School Committees and Superintendents [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]|Section 16-2-9.1 - Code of basic management principles and ethical school standards.

§ 16-2-9.1. Code of basic management principles and ethical school standards.(a) School committees shall adopt the following code of basic management principles and ethical school standards:The    (District)   does hereby establish a code of basic principles and ethical standards for school committee members acting individually and collectively as boards of education in the management of the public schools of    (City or Town)   .The school committee in    accepts the obligation to operate the public schools in accordance with the fundamental principles and standards of school management, which principles include but are not limited to the following:(1) Formulate written policy for the administration of schools to be reviewed regularly and revised as necessary.(2) Exercise legislative, policy-making, planning and appraising functions and delegate administrative functions in the operation of schools.(3) Recognize their critical responsibility for selecting the superintendent, defining his or her responsibilities, and evaluating his or her performance regularly without directly engaging in administrative processes.(4) Accept and encourage a variety of opinions from and communication with all parts of the community.(5) Make public relevant institutional information in order to promote communication and understanding between the school system and the community.(6) Act on legislative and policy-making matters only after examining pertinent facts and considering the superintendent's recommendations.(7) Conduct meetings with planned and published agendas.(8) Encourage and promote professional growth of school staff so that quality of instruction and support services may continually be improved.(9) Establish and maintain procedural steps for resolving complaints and criticisms of school affairs.(10) Act only through public meetings since individual board members have no authority to bind the board.(11) Recognize that the first and greatest concern must be the educational welfare of the students attending the public schools.(12) Work with other committee members to establish effective board policies and to delegate authority for the administration of the schools to the superintendent.(13) Avoid being placed in a position of conflict of interest, and refrain from using the committee position for personal gain.(14) Attend all regularly scheduled committee meetings as possible, and become informed concerning the issues to be considered at those meetings.(b) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to limit or interfere with the rights of teachers and other school employees to collectively bargain pursuant to chapters 9.3 and 9.4 of title 28 or to allow any school committee or superintendent to abrogate any agreement reached by collective bargaining.History of Section.P.L. 1988, ch. 642, § 2.
RI Gen L § 16-2-9.2 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 16 - Education|Chapter 16-2 - School Committees and Superintendents [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]|Section 16-2-9.2 - Joint purchasing agreements.

§ 16-2-9.2. Joint purchasing agreements.Notwithstanding any other law or rule, any two (2) or more school committees may establish joint purchasing agreements between and among themselves or with the Rhode Island Association of School Committees for the purpose of purchasing goods and services. The Rhode Island Association of School Committees, acting on behalf of any school committees that are members of a joint purchasing agreement may seek the services of the Rhode Island division of purchases, department of administration, in procuring items necessary to the operation of the school district(s) and which items are common in usage to those procured by the state, and the division of purchasers shall, upon request by the Rhode Island Association of School Committees, furnish to its lists of supplies and equipment. The Rhode Island Association of School Committees and any consortia created pursuant to a joint purchase agreement under this chapter shall be entitled to all the rights and benefits set forth in § 37-2-56.History of Section.P.L. 2004, ch. 349, § 1; P.L. 2004, ch. 355, § 1.
RI Gen L § 16-2-9.3 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 16 - Education|Chapter 16-2 - School Committees and Superintendents [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]|Section 16-2-9.3 - The advisory council on school finances.

§ 16-2-9.3. The advisory council on school finances.(a) The legislature hereby finds and declares that there is a need for an advisory council on school finances to strengthen the fiscal accountability of school districts, regional school districts, state schools and charter schools in Rhode Island. The council shall be composed of five (5) members as follows:(1) The auditor general of the state of Rhode Island or his or her designee;(2) The executive director of the Rhode Island association of school committees or his or her designee;(3) The president of the Rhode Island association of school business officials or his or her designee;(4) The commissioner of elementary and secondary education or his or her designee; and(5) The director of the department of administration or his or her designee. The auditor general or his or her designee shall serve as chair of the council. By July 1, 2005, the council shall develop recommendations for a uniform system of accounting, including a chart of accounts for all school districts, regional school districts, state schools and charter schools. By July 1, 2009 the council shall develop recommendations for a uniform system of accounting for all educational regional collaboratives identified in chapter 16-3.1. Said recommendations shall be advisory in nature and may be adopted by the office of auditor general and the department of elementary and secondary education in part or in whole.(b) The council shall meet no less than annually and recommend changes in accounting procedures to be adopted by school districts, regional school districts, state schools and charter schools as well as apprise school business officials, charter school officials, school committees and school superintendents, school administrators and state school officials about professional development opportunities that promotes sound fiscal practices and a knowledge of current state and federal rules and regulations regarding school finance. The council shall also report, annually, its activities and recommendations to the house committee on education accountability, the senate committee on education and the office of the governor.History of Section.P.L. 2004, ch. 595, art. 23, § 8; P.L. 2008, ch. 149, § 1; P.L. 2008, ch. 192, § 1; P.L. 2013, ch. 501, § 14.
RI Gen L § 16-2-9.6 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 16 - Education|Chapter 16-2 - School Committees and Superintendents [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]|Section 16-2-9.6 - Joint purchasing agreements for technology and IT infrastructure.

§ 16-2-9.6. Joint purchasing agreements for technology and IT infrastructure.Notwithstanding any other law or rule, any two (2) or more school committees may establish joint purchasing agreements between and among themselves or with the Rhode Island Society of Technology Educators ("RISTE"), a domestic, nonprofit corporation, for the purposes of establishing bids pursuant to chapter 55 of title 45, and jointly purchasing technology-related goods and services. The RISTE, acting on behalf of any school committee(s) that are members of a joint purchasing agreement with RISTE, may establish specifications and bid on behalf of the member school districts. The RISTE shall comply with bidding requirements of chapter 55 of title 45. The RISTE and any consortia created pursuant to a joint purchase agreement under this chapter shall be entitled to all the rights and benefits set forth in § 37-2-56. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this section permits any non-public school or non-public school district access to the master price agreement maintained by the department of administration, division of purchases.History of Section.P.L. 2018, ch. 143, § 1; P.L. 2018, ch. 193, § 1.
RI Gen L § 16-2-10 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 16 - Education|Chapter 16-2 - School Committees and Superintendents [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]|Section 16-2-10 - Certification of superintendents.

§ 16-2-10. Certification of superintendents.No person shall be employed as superintendent of schools in any city or town unless the person holds a certificate of qualification issued by or under the authority of the state board of regents for elementary and secondary education.History of Section.P.L. 1908, ch. 1560, § 1; G.L. 1909, ch. 66, § 10; G.L. 1923, ch. 70, § 9; P.L. 1925, ch. 598, § 1; G.L. 1938, ch. 178, § 9; impl. am. P.L. 1951, ch. 2752, § 21; G.L. 1956, § 16-2-10; P.L. 1988, ch. 84, § 71.
RI Gen L § 16-2-12 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 16 - Education|Chapter 16-2 - School Committees and Superintendents [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]|Section 16-2-12 - Joint superintendent employed by two or more cities or towns.

§ 16-2-12. Joint superintendent employed by two or more cities or towns.The school committee of two (2) or more cities or towns, in which the aggregate number of schools shall not be more than sixty (60), may by vote unite for the purpose of the employment of a superintendent of the schools of the several cities or towns.History of Section.P.L. 1903, ch. 1101, § 2; G.L. 1909, ch. 66, § 6; P.L. 1912, ch. 804, § 1; G.L. 1923, ch. 70, § 5; G.L. 1938, ch. 178, § 5; G.L. 1956, § 16-2-12.
RI Gen L § 16-2-13 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 16 - Education|Chapter 16-2 - School Committees and Superintendents [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]|Section 16-2-13 - Joint committee - Annual convention - Superintendent - Dissolution.

§ 16-2-13. Joint committee — Annual convention — Superintendent — Dissolution.The school committees of the cities or towns voting to unite for the purpose of the employment of a superintendent of the schools as prescribed in § 16-2-12, shall form a joint committee, for the purpose of this chapter; the joint committee shall be the agents of each city or town comprising the union. The school committees shall meet annually in joint convention at a place and time agreed upon by the chairpersons of the several school committees, and shall organize by the choice of a chairperson and secretary. They shall choose by ballot a superintendent of schools, fix his or her salary, and apportion the amount to be paid by each of the cities or towns, approximately according to the next preceding school census in the city or town. The union shall not be dissolved because the number of schools shall have increased beyond the number of sixty (60), nor, for any reason, for the period of three (3) years from the date of the formation of the union, except by concurrent votes of the school committees of a majority of the cities or towns constituting the union.History of Section.P.L. 1903, ch. 1101, § 3; P.L. 1904, ch. 1147, § 1; G.L. 1909, ch. 66, § 7; P.L. 1912, ch. 804, § 1; G.L. 1923, ch. 70, § 6; G.L. 1938, ch. 178, § 6; G.L. 1956, § 16-2-13; P.L. 2001, ch. 86, § 26.
RI Gen L § 16-2-14 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 16 - Education|Chapter 16-2 - School Committees and Superintendents [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]|Section 16-2-14 - Repealed.

§ 16-2-14. Repealed.History of Section.P.L. 1903, ch. 1101, § 4; P.L. 1904, ch. 1147, § 2; G.L. 1909, ch. 66, § 8; P.L. 1919, ch. 1725, § 1; G.L. 1923, ch. 70, § 7; G.L. 1938, ch. 178, § 7; impl. am. P.L. 1951, ch. 2752, § 21; G.L. 1956, § 16-2-14; Repealed by P.L. 1960, ch. 27, § 12.
RI Gen L § 16-2-15 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 16 - Education|Chapter 16-2 - School Committees and Superintendents [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]|Section 16-2-15 - Location of schools - Control of property.

§ 16-2-15. Location of schools — Control of property.(a) The school committee shall locate all schoolhouses, and shall not abandon, close, or change the location of any without good cause; and, unless provided by law, the school committee of each city or town shall have the care and control of all public school buildings and other public school property of the city or town, including repairs of the buildings and the purchase of furniture and other school equipment.(b) The school committee of any city or town may provide public school housing for the city or town by lease of buildings or portions of buildings, furniture, and other school equipment, subject to the following provisions:(1) During the period or periods to which the lease applies the property leased shall be public school property of the city or town in all respects to the same effect as any public school building of the city or town;(2) The lease shall provide for use and occupancy of periods at least the same as or equivalent to the periods during which public school buildings of the city or town are used and occupied;(3) As applied to rooms for instruction the lease shall provide for exclusive use and occupancy during the periods of the lease and may provide for common or concurrent use and occupancy of other areas of the property;(4) The use and occupancy under the lease may be for purpose of instruction at particular grade levels or in particular courses of study and may provide for consecutive use and occupancy of specified areas of the property provided that total use and occupancy under this lease complies with the provisions of subsection (b)(2).(c) Upon application of the school committee of any city or town, the commissioner of elementary and secondary education may prescribe by regulation standards for the leases in accordance with this chapter and in accordance with the Constitution, laws, and education policies and programs of the state. The expenses of the city or town under the lease shall constitute expenditures to support the basic program pursuant to the provisions of §§ 16-7-15 to 16-7-34.History of Section.G.L. 1896, ch. 60, § 4; G.L. 1909, ch. 67, § 3; P.L. 1917, ch. 1521, § 1; G.L. 1923, ch. 70, § 3; G.L. 1938, ch. 178, § 3; G.L. 1956, § 16-2-15; P.L. 1969, ch. 245, § 1; P.L. 1975, ch. 286, § 1.
RI Gen L § 16-2-15.1 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 16 - Education|Chapter 16-2 - School Committees and Superintendents [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]|Section 16-2-15.1 - Pawtucket school committee - Abandonment, closing, reopening, or acquisition of school buildings - Public hearings.

§ 16-2-15.1. Pawtucket school committee — Abandonment, closing, reopening, or acquisition of school buildings — Public hearings.The school committee of the city of Pawtucket, whenever it shall deem it necessary to abandon or close an existing school building for a period of more than six (6) months or acquire or reopen a new school building, by either the purchase or lease of real property, shall conduct a public hearing within the city of Pawtucket for the purpose of addressing the issues of the desirability and necessity for the abandonment, closing, reopening, or acquisition, the reassignment of displaced students to other public education facilities, and the transportation of the displaced students. Any hearing shall be held on a date no more than six (6) months nor less than forty-five (45) days before the date of any abandonment, closing, reopening, or acquisition. The school committee shall give notice of the public hearing specifying the time and place of the hearing by publication of the notice in a newspaper of general circulation within the city of Pawtucket at least two (2) weeks and not more than four (4) weeks prior to the date of the hearing. At the hearing, opportunity shall be given residents of the city interested to be heard upon the proposed abandonment, closing, reopening, or acquisition and other related matters, including the reasonable opportunity to submit written or oral questions to the school committee.History of Section.P.L. 1980, ch. 408, § 1.
RI Gen L § 16-2-16 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 16 - Education|Chapter 16-2 - School Committees and Superintendents [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]|Section 16-2-16 - Rules and regulations - Curriculum.

§ 16-2-16. Rules and regulations — Curriculum.The school committee shall make and cause to be put up in each schoolhouse rules and regulations for the attendance and classification of the pupils, for the introduction and use of textbooks and works of reference, and for the instruction, government, and discipline of the public schools, and shall prescribe the studies to be pursued in the schools, under the direction of the department of elementary and secondary education.History of Section.G.L., 1896, ch. 60, § 10; G.L. 1909, ch. 67, § 6; G.L. 1923, ch. 70, § 19; G.L. 1938, ch. 178, § 19; impl. am. P.L. 1951, ch. 2752, § 21; G.L. 1956, § 16-2-16.
RI Gen L § 16-2-17.1 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 16 - Education|Chapter 16-2 - School Committees and Superintendents [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]|Section 16-2-17.1 - In school suspensions.

§ 16-2-17.1. In school suspensions.Suspensions issued shall not be served out of school unless the student's conduct meets the standards set forth in § 16-2-17(a) or the student represents a demonstrable threat to students, teachers, or administrators.History of Section.P.L. 2016, ch. 171, § 2; P.L. 2016, ch. 186, § 2.