Mandates additional state education funding for the mental and behavioral health of students equal to 2% of the district’s total expenditures, and require those funds be used to hire staff such as school social workers, and behavioral specialists.
Summary
H5532 amends Rhode Island’s Education Equity and Property Tax Relief Act to add a new categorical state education aid requirement for student mental and behavioral health. The bill would require the state to provide additional funding equal to 2% of each school district’s total expenditures, and those dollars would be restricted to hiring and retaining student support staff such as school social workers, school counselors, school psychologists, paraprofessionals, behavioral specialists, and registered behavior technicians (RBTs).
To qualify for the funding, districts would need to meet several conditions. They must be below specified staffing ratios for social workers, counselors, and psychologists, or otherwise show staffing gaps in elementary classrooms; comply with the school improvement team law; and maintain policies ensuring students removed for escalated behavior receive de-escalation support before returning to class. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education would review performance reports, approve fund use before spending, and ensure the money supplements rather than replaces existing district spending.
Impact
The bill would amend § 16-7.2-6 of the General Laws, which governs categorical programs funded through the permanent foundation education-aid program. Its main legal effect is to create a new state-funded categorical aid stream for mental and behavioral health services in public schools, with administrative oversight by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. It would also impose eligibility, reporting, and pre-approval requirements on districts receiving the funds, and it would direct that the new categorical be funded under the transition plan in § 16-7.2-7.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears generally supportive of expanding school-based mental and behavioral health services and increasing state education aid for districts. The proposal is framed as an investment in student support staffing and service capacity rather than a reduction or restructuring of existing aid. No committee transcript or recorded votes were provided, so there is no documented debate or formal vote history to indicate broader legislative sentiment.
Contention
The main points of potential contention are likely to be the new state spending obligation, the requirement that districts meet staffing-ratio and policy conditions to qualify, and the Department’s authority to approve and monitor expenditures before funds are used. Districts with limited staffing or administrative capacity may view the eligibility rules as burdensome, while supporters are likely to favor the accountability measures and the requirement that funds supplement existing services rather than backfill local budgets. Because no hearing transcript or vote record was provided, no specific member or stakeholder positions are documented.