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Portsmouth School Committee finalizes 2025 legislative priorities; transportation and funding equity top the list
Summary
At a Jan. 14 joint‑priority review the committee approved a slate of state priorities including statewide pupil‑transportation study items, limits on funding volatility and increased high‑cost special‑education funding; a proposed statewide cell‑phone policy failed on a 3‑3 vote and was moved to a "keep informed" item.
The Portsmouth School Committee on Jan. 14 approved a consolidated list of legislative priorities for 2025 focused on transportation, funding equity and high‑cost special education, and directed staff to share the final draft with town councilors and local legislators ahead of the joint meeting later this month.
Chair and committee members discussed each item individually and took separate votes. The committee approved a request to advance work started by a legislative study commission on statewide student transportation and to pursue several changes the commission identified, including raising the pupil‑transportation vehicle passenger limit to match Massachusetts and seeking state support for out‑of‑state driver waivers. Committee members also added a request that the state "assume the cost of transporting homeless students to their district of origin." That combined motion passed unanimously 6‑0.
Committee members also approved a priority asking the General Assembly to institute protections against large year‑to‑year swings in state education aid; the committee asked staff to add a prefatory sentence noting Portsmouth receives among the lowest per‑pupil state aid in Rhode Island. The school committee approved a separate item asking the state to increase the high‑cost special‑education categorical fund to better reimburse districts for expensive out‑of‑district placements.
On nutrition policy the committee supported a priority urging the state to consider universal free school meals or other measures to address unpaid meal debt and food access for students.
The committee debated a separate proposed priority asking the legislature to adopt a statewide restriction on student cell‑phone use during school hours. That item required a roll call vote; the motion to make a statewide restriction a priority resulted in a 3‑3 tie and failed. The committee moved the subject into the "keep the committee informed" section so members will receive updates on proposed state legislation and pilot programs.
Committee members also kept several informational items on the "keep informed" list, including high‑speed internet for Aquidneck Island, composting and waste‑reduction efforts, access to clean‑energy funding mechanisms and pesticide‑use enforcement. Committee members asked staff to finalize wording and remove draft notes before distributing the final priorities to state legislators ahead of the Jan. 27 joint meeting with town council.
"If the state continues to reimburse private school transportation, it should also reimburse districts for homeless student transportation," the committee recorded in the approved language, after discussion that the committee felt current reimbursements do not equitably cover homeless or high‑cost placements.
Superintendent Dr. Kenworthy said he would circulate the edited document and ensure it reaches state representatives before the joint session.
