A new statewide commission will meet on Wednesday to examine the transportation needs of students and make recommendations regarding how to make changes to the current system.
The Commission, which was created by a joint resolution sponsored by state Rep. Terri Cortvriend (D-Dist. 72, Portsmouth, Middletown) and state Sen. Linda Ujifusa (D-Dist. 11, Portsmouth, Bristol), will study the cost-effective ways to meet the transportation needs of students with special needs.
Under current law, local school districts are required to pay for students’ transportation outside of their district if their needs cannot be met locally. The law further requires districts to use a statewide transportation service when possible.
The 13-member commission is expected to be co-chaired by Representative Cortvriend and Senator Ujifusa.
In addition to Senator Ujifusa and Representative Cortvriend, the panel will include Rep. Joseph J. Solomon Jr. (D-Dist. 22, Warwick), House Minority Leader Michael W. Chippendale (R-Dist. 40, Foster, Glocester, Coventry), Sen. Samuel D. Zurier (D-Dist. 3, Providence), Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz (R-Dist. 23, North Smithfield, Burrillville, Glocester), Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Angelica Infante-Green, President of the Rhode Island Association of School Committees Paul Bourget, President of the Rhode Island School Superintendents Association James Erinakes, Chairman of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority Board Peter Alviti, Secretary and Treasurer of Teamsters Local 251 Matthew Taibi, Department of Children Youth and Families Director Ashley Deckert, and a student experiencing transportation problems due to the existing statewide system.
The meeting will be televised live by Capitol Television, which can be seen by Cox Communications subscribers on channels 15 and 61 for high definition, on channel 15 by i3Broadband viewers, and channel 34 for Verizon subscribers. Livestreaming will be available at https://www.rilegislature.gov/CapTV/Pages/default.aspx.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.
