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3/7/2025
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Caldwell, Shanley sponsor bill to ease aid cut to East Greenwich schools
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District’s school aid facing reduction under education funding formula
STATE HOUSE – East Greenwich Representatives Justine Caldwell and Evan Shanley have introduced legislation to help East Greenwich schools in light of a reduction in state aid expected under the state’s education funding formula.
The legislation (2025-H 5749), which is sponsored by Representative Caldwell and cosponsored by Representative Shanley, would boost the funding that is provided to school districts to soften the impact when the state share ratio in the funding formula declines significantly from one year to the next. Currently, if a district’s state share ratio is to decline by more than 2% from the previous year, the state will make up 50% of the loss attributed to that decline through a “poverty loss stabilization” fund to give the district more time to align its budget. The legislation would increase that funding to 75% of the difference.
Rhode Island’s education aid formula takes many factors into account, including property values, household income and poverty in a community. The 2026 budget proposal sent to the General Assembly by Gov. Daniel McKee would provide East Greenwich $854,000 less than last year based on the formula.
The legislation introduced by Representative Caldwell and Representative Shanley would make up much of that difference, providing East Greenwich with about $508,000 more than it would otherwise get in total state education aid next year.
“There’s no school district in Rhode Island that can easily absorb a cut in its state aid. Our schools are facing rising costs like everyone else right now, so if the formula causes a funding gap, it’s likely to mean budget cuts that hurt our students and our schools. In the somewhat unusual event that the state share ratio results in less money from year to the next, the state should ease into the reduction to give the district an opportunity to figure out how to move forward,” said Representative Caldwell (D-Dist. 30, East Greenwich, West Greenwich).
Said Representative Shanley (D-Dist. 24, Warwick, East Greenwich), “In reality, even if a school district qualifies for less of a state share than it did the previous year, its costs are very unlikely to have gone down at all. The poverty loss stabilization fund exists because of the difficulties that districts have in that situation, and we believe it needs to go further to help districts bridge the gap for the sake of students.”
The legislation was introduced Feb. 26, and is now before the House Finance Committee.
The two representatives have also introduced legislation (2025-H 5691) requested by the East Greenwich School Committee to require housing developers to provide municipalities with a report on the effects any proposal would have on schools, transportation, public safety, water supply, wastewater systems and environmental resources. The legislation, which is sponsored by Representative Shanley and cosponsored by Representative Caldwell, would require developers to collaborate with municipal and school officials to identify challenges and mitigation measures to the municipality if the project is built. The bill, introduced Feb. 26, is before the House Municipal Government and Housing Committee.
For more information, contact:
Meredyth R. Whitty, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-1923
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