Bill Would Provide Free Lunch To All Rhode Island Students

The House Finance Committee is set to hear testimony on a package of bills pertaining to Rhode Island public schools on Tuesday, including an amendment to the state's current free lunch program law. If passed, the amended legislation would strip the financial requirement, allowing all students to receive free lunch.

Under the current law, the Rhode Island General Assembly has the right to extend free lunch programs "to the extent that federal, state, and/or local funds are available."

Other bills set for testimony include limitations on class sizes, the creation of language immersion programs, support for programs for at-risk children and an extension of the Rhode Island Promise scholarship.

The Kindergarten Through Grade Two Maximum Class Size Act, sponsored by Representative Christopher T. Millea (D-Dist. 16, Cranston), would limit the size of classes to 20 children or less.

Representative Grace Diaz (D-Dist. 11, Providence) has introduced a bill that would create and fund a dual language immersion and world language program.

The Early Childhood Innovation Act, sponsored by Representative Joseph M. McNamara (D-Dist. 19, Warwick, Cranston), aims to close the achievement gap for at-risk children in the first years of life, before entering kindergarten.

"Early childhood investments targeted towards program development for disadvantaged children will help to promote both efficiency and educational equality for the children of our state," the bill reads in part. "More effort can and should be expended to reach children at an even younger age."

The final bill, also sponsored by Representative McNamara, would extend the Rhode Island Promise Scholarship until 2022. Under the current law, the program is set to expire with the class of 2020.