Out of the $9.9 billion proposal, education spending makes up more than a quarter. Coming in at $2.77 billion, the plan includes tens of millions in new spending for K-12, preschool and higher education.
The new spending plan comes after newly released standardized test scores painted a grim picture of student achievement in the state, and expectations that the state’s education commissioner Ken Wagner may soon be leaving.
During her State of the State address, Governor Gina Raimondo spoke directly to the need for improving the state’s struggling public schools.
“This won’t be easy, and we all have a role to play, at both the state and local level,” Raimondo said during her speech Monday. “We need the courage to set an ambitious plan and stick to it despite the inevitable challenges and controversies that will come our way.”
Now the governor is proposing an influx of $24.9 million dollars through the education funding formula, set to be distributed directly to communities.
“This is just funding that the state will provide to local cities and towns to support the school districts,” said Kevin Gallagher, the Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff. “It’s given out on a per-pupil basis, so communities who have larger enrollments will see a bigger amount of that money.”
Additionally, the state is asking for thousands more to K-12 for things like computer science classes, improving school curriculums, and expanding free lunch and breakfast programs.
The proposal also includes $9.3 million to begin the expansion to provide pre-kindergarten classes statewide. There are more than 1,000 state pre-K seats in the state currently. Raimondo hopes to increase that number to 7,000 by the end of her second term.
More than $7 million is set aside in the budget proposal for the Rhode Island Promise scholarship. The proposal is set to provide money to expand the tuition-free education program at the Community College of Rhode Island to adults 25 and older. The scholarship could also be expanded to Rhode Island College students for their junior and senior years if the proposal is approved in the General Assembly.
