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5/13/2026
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Rep. Morales, teachers, school board members and advocates call for investment in RI schools
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 STATE HOUSE — Rep. David Morales was joined by Providence School Board member Night Jean Muhingabo, the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals, the National Education Association Rhode Island and the Coalition for a Multilingual Rhode Island at the State House Tuesday to call for the passage of legislation to strengthen Rhode Island schools in the face of potential budget cuts.
“Right now many of our Rhode Island public schools are in crisis. This crisis impacts our multilingual learners who now encompass nearly 20% of students across our state and who do not have the staff and support that they need in their schools; and it impacts students across Rhode Island in districts that are facing a reduction in state aid due to brutal federal cuts to SNAP that impact how student poverty is calculated by the state,” said Representative Morales (D-Dist. 7, Providence). “These issues facing our schools will impact generations of students if legislative action is not taken. Just in Providence alone, due to the SNAP cuts, we have seen the school funding formula count of students in poverty fall from 14,000 to 12,000, which translates to approximately $11 million less in state aid this fiscal year for a district that is facing a deficit and considering laying off upwards of 80 teachers. This is not sustainable for our classroom, it is not sustainable for our students and it is a disservice to our families.”
The group called for the passage of two bills sponsored by Representative Morales (D-Dist. 7, Providence). The first (2026-H 8511) would amend the school funding formula to ensure that schools do not lose state aid due to cuts or disruptions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Because the number of students receiving SNAP benefits is used to measure poverty in school districts and direct more state funds to areas with higher poverty, the cuts to SNAP at the federal level could mean decreased state aid to school districts where poverty has not actually decreased. This bill would make sure that this aid could not drop below what a district received in the 2026 fiscal year state budget.
The second, the Support and Access to Bilingual Education Act (2026-H 7389), would establish a bilingual education support fund within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to support dual language education programs in schools.
The fund would be used to help implement dual language programs in public schools and to expand bilingual, dual language and world language teaching certifications for teachers through scholarships to cover certification costs for teachers in areas of high need.
Rhode Island had the fastest growth of multilingual learners in the nation between 2011 and 2021 and had the sixth highest percentage of multilingual learners among U.S. states as of 2021. Some communities have experienced significantly higher increases: the Newport school districts reported a 327% increase in multilingual learners over the last decade.
After the event, the Support and Access to Bilingual Education Act was heard by the House Finance Committee, where it received supportive testimony from not only the participating organizations, but organizations including Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, the United Way of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island ALCU.
IN PHOTO: Rep. David Morales speaks at the event Tuesday.
For more information, contact:
Tristan Grau, Publicist
State House Room B20
Providence, RI 02903
401.222.4935
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