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4/8/2025
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Senate approves Acosta’s bill seeking right to ‘equitable, adequate and meaningful’ education in state constitution
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STATE HOUSE – The Senate today passed legislation (2025-S 0177) sponsored by Sen. Jonathon Acosta to place a question on the next statewide ballot asking voters to amend the state constitution to guarantee “an equitable, adequate and meaningful education to each child.”
Such a constitutional guarantee would ensure that systems that are failing children are addressed because the guarantee would be legally enforceable.
“To say Rhode Island’s public education system is underserving our children would be a significant understatement. We are all aware of the consistently low and falling test scores and proficiency levels, and the truth is that our children have yet to recover from the educational devastation of the pandemic. This is why it is urgent that we codify, in our state’s constitution, our children’s right to a proper education. If we care about the future of our state at all, we need to provide a top-quality public education for our youth, and making it a state constitutional right would ensure that our children receive the education that they rightfully deserve,” said Senator Acosta (D-Dist. 16, Central Falls, Pawtucket).
The effort is modeled on a similar constitutional provision added to Massachusetts’ constitution that helped transform its public educational system into one that is consistently among the best in the country.
If the question were put on the ballot and voters were to approve it, it would place the responsibility for providing an equitable, adequate and meaningful education to each child in the hands of the General Assembly and the state. It would enable people to seek court enforcement if they believe themselves injured because the state failed in its duty to provide an equitable, adequate and meaningful education to each child.
The legislation now goes to the House of Representatives, where Rep. Mary Duffy Messier (D-Dist. 62, Pawtucket) is sponsoring companion legislation (2025-H 5459).
For more information, contact:
Andrew Caruolo, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-6124
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