Rhode Island § 16-105-1 - School Building Authority

§ 16-105-1. Legislative findings.

(a) The state of Rhode Island is committed to providing high-quality educational opportunities for all public school students.

(b) School facilities provide more than a place for instruction. The physical learning environment contributes to the successful performance of educational programs designed to meet students’ educational needs.

(c) Every student needs a safe, healthy, and sanitary learning environment that promotes student learning and development.

(d) School construction policies should encourage districts to reduce excess capacity through means such as partnering with other districts, closing buildings, and altering grade configurations in certain buildings to maximize the use of square feet.

(e) In order to maximize limited state resources, the project prioritization process should focus on projects with the most urgent and immediate need.

(f) State-funded school construction project financing should transition from a system that largely reimburses local debt service to one that provides a set amount of financing annually to provide greater stability from a budgetary perspective while guiding limited resources to best use.