Woonsocket Radio News Room

Special commission to study student transportation seeking public input

STATE HOUSE — The special legislative commission studying student transportation is seeking input from the public, and will meet Feb. 10 to collect public testimony from those who would like to comment in person.

The 13-member commission, co-chaired by Rep. Terri Cortvriend (D-Dist. 72, Portsmouth, Middletown) and Sen. Linda Ujifusa (D-Dist. 11, Portsmouth, Bristol), is studying the transportation needs of students, the most cost-effective way of meeting them and what changes need to be made to the state’s laws governing the statewide transportation program.

Those who would like to send written comments may email them to Christine O’Connor at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. PDF format is preferred.

In-person public testimony will be accepted at the commission’s meeting Monday, Feb. 10, at 3:45 p.m. in the House Lounge on the second floor of the State House.

At the meeting, the commission will also receive a presentation from the R.I. Department of Education (RIDE) Chief Operations Officer Dr. Mario Carreño on how transportation to private schools is currently funded; a presentation titled “All Our Students: Amplifying the Voice for Parents for Student Transportation,” to be given by Independent Schools Association of Rhode Island President Brian Cordeiro and Diocese of Providence Assistant Superintendent of Catholic Schools William F. Klements; and presentations from public school superintendents from the East Bay and West Bay areas, respectively: Bristol Warren Regional Superintendent Ana C. Riley, who is also a commission member, and Cranston Superintendent Jeannine Nota-Masse.

State law requires local school districts to pay the costs of transporting students outside their districts if they have special needs that can’t be met locally or they attend a private, parochial, charter or career and technical school within the district’s assigned transportation region. The law requires districts to use a statewide transportation service administered by RIDE, or seek a variance from RIDE, for instance, to use district-owned buses, but receive no reimbursement.

In addition to Senator Ujifusa and Representative Cortvriend, the commission includes Rep. Joseph J. Solomon Jr. (D-Dist. 22, Warwick); House Minority Leader Michael W. Chippendale (R-Dist. 40, Foster, Glocester, Coventry); Sen. Samuel D. Zurier (D-Dist. 3, Providence); Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz (R-Dist. 23, North Smithfield, Burrillville, Glocester); Rhode Island Department of Education Chief Operations Officer Mario Carreno; Portsmouth School Committee Chairwoman Emily Copeland, who is representing Rhode Island Association of School Committees; Bristol-Warren Regional School Superintendent and Rhode Island School Superintendents Association Ana Riley; Rhode Island Public Transit Authority Board Chairman Peter Alviti; Secretary and Treasurer of Teamsters Local 251 Matthew Taibi; Mike Burk of the Department of Children Youth and Families; and student Lilian Cordero Gagnon.

The meeting will be televised by Capitol Television, which can be seen by Cox Communications subscribers on channels 15 and 61 for high definition, on channel 15 by i3Broadband viewers, and channel 34 for Verizon subscribers. Livestreaming will be available at https://www.rilegislature.gov/CapTV/Pages/default.aspx.