Multiple Businesses Call on McKee to Veto Moratorium on Charter Schools

Multiple Businesses Call on McKee to Veto Moratorium on Charter Schools

The League of Charter Schools and several business organizations are calling on Governor Dan McKee to veto the moratorium on public charter schools.

 

“…both the RI House of Representatives and the RI Senate voted in favor of the charter public school moratorium bill (H7415/SB2787). As a reminder, this harmful legislation permanently lowers the state's already stringent charter public school cap, imposes a three-year moratorium on new charter public school opportunities, and continues to prevent the approved De La Comunidad Bilingual School from opening,” wrote the League.

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“Families, students, alumni, educators, and supporters sent thousands of emails, made hundreds of calls, delivered powerful testimony at key committee hearings, and showed up at the State House throughout this legislative session,” added the League.

 

The legislation (H7415/S2787) prohibits the creation or expansion of charter public schools through the 2028-2029 school year, despite charter schools in the state producing stronger outcomes than traditional public schools.

 

A national study from the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University found that charter school students, on average, achieve significantly stronger academic gains than their peers in traditional public schools, and that Rhode Island’s charter sector outcomes are the strongest in the nation. In a February 2026 report, RIPEC found that charter schools are doing a markedly better job at reducing chronic absenteeism than traditional public schools.

 

According to RIPEC, Charter schools primarily serve students in communities with persistently underperforming schools. More than four in five charter school students reside in Central Falls, Providence, Pawtucket, or Woonsocket, where over half of all available middle and high school seats are in one-star schools. In Central Falls and Woonsocket, Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System (RICAS) results for proficiency in English Language Arts and math were below ten percent last year. As a result, families sought to enroll their children in charter schools . That demand continues to far exceed available capacity, with two in every three applicants last year unable to secure a charter school seat.

 

"At a time when Rhode Island is working to attract talent, strengthen its workforce, and grow its economy, limiting educational choice is a step in the wrong direction. Employers consistently tell us that educational outcomes matter. Families consistently tell us they want access to high-quality options. A three-year moratorium on charter schools does not create a single new opportunity for a student, it simply takes opportunities away. Rhode Island should be expanding successful models, encouraging innovation, and empowering parents to choose the educational environment that best fits their children. I urge Governor McKee to veto this legislation and keep the door open for educational excellence in all its forms,” said Monika Zuluaga, President & CEO of the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce. 

 

“Rhode Island should be expanding, not restricting, educational opportunities for students and families. At a time when many parents and employers remain concerned about educational outcomes and workforce readiness across our region, limiting access to innovative school models is a step in the wrong direction. The Greater Newport Chamber respectfully urges Governor McKee to veto this legislation and support policies that promote educational excellence, choice, and economic competitiveness,” said Erin Donovan-Boyle, President & CEO of the Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce

 

“Charter public schools are a proven bright spot in Rhode Island’s education system at a time when too many parts of our K–12 system are not producing strong outcomes for students. While the Rhode Island General Assembly has been generous in providing state funding for our K-12 schools, our legislature has been largely absent in advancing policy initiatives to improve our schools in recent years. It is disheartening that the action now being taken by the Assembly would result in limiting educational opportunities, primarily for economically disadvantaged students,” said Michael DiBiase, President and CEO of the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council. 

 

The Providence Chamber is also opposed to the moratorium.

 

EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version misidentified the League of Charter Schools, We apologize for the error.