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Rhode Island Gov. McKee Sign Charter School Moratorium Bill
The law lowers the charter cap from 35 to 28 and blocks De La Comunidad Bilingual Public Charter School from opening, officials said.
On Thursday, June 18, Governor Dan McKee signed a three-year moratorium on new charter schools in Rhode Island, permanently lowering the statewide cap from 35 to 28.
McKee cited over 10,000 fewer students in public education since 2021, creating financial pressures that aligned his decision with teachers' unions who backed the moratorium legislation.
The law prevents De La Comunidad Bilingual Public Charter School from opening despite prior state approval. Chiara Deltito-Sharrott, executive director of the Rhode Island League of Charter Public Schools, warned the pause removes the system's "ability to be nimble."
Victor Capellan, CEO of the Rhode Island Education Collective, said he was "deeply disappointed to see the bill become law," characterizing it as a deliberate effort to protect political power.
McKee also signed legislation removing his authority to unilaterally opt into a federal school voucher tax credit program, writing that "major decisions with long-term consequences" deserve agreement among elected leaders.