In Gov. Dan McKee鈥檚 annual last month, one goal stood out: His administration will seek to bring Rhode Island up to the level of Massachusetts student achievement by 2030, echoing a target set last year.
According to McKee鈥檚 Jan. 16 speech, the administration will focus on improving three areas: Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System scores, student attendance and Free Application for Federal Student Aid completion. As part of the effort, the state budget will propose a $15 million allocation for math and English Language Arts coaching for students as well as professional development for teachers, McKee said.
The Herald spoke with Rhode Island community members about the goals voiced by McKee.
Dana DeMaire, site coordinator for Hope High School with the Providence After School Alliance, said greater investment in FAFSA is critical for high school students. The Providence Public School District currently hosts for the entire district.
Increased investment in teachers is also crucial to prevent high turnover rates, according to Lisa Hildebrand, executive director of the Rhode Island Association for the Education of Young Children. Hildebrand鈥檚 organization is a nonprofit that supports early childhood educators through advocacy, professional development and direct work with the state government.
The organization meets with the governor鈥檚 office each year to work on the state budget. This year, the number one priority was what Hildebrand calls a 鈥渟taffing crisis.鈥� Just last year, teacher turnover hit across several states. According to Hildebrand, low wages lead to turnover, which in turn leads to closed classrooms and long waitlists for services like infant and toddler care.
鈥淭he waiting lists in some programs are years long, and that impacts that parent being able to go back into the workforce,鈥� Hildebrand said. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 an economic issue.鈥�
Hope High School, a local public school, has also faced difficulties in retaining staff, according to DeMarie. Even within the administration, turnover is high, which can present problems when long-term projects are abandoned, she said.
鈥淟ast year we had an administrator who was navigating after-school tutoring for our youth,鈥� DeMaire said. The school no longer offers tutoring after the administrator left, she recalled.
Early Intervention access
The administration will allocate towards , the full amount that the Rhode Island Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner recommended. Rhode Island鈥檚 offers a special home-based program of educational support and services for infants and toddlers experiencing a developmental delay or disability.
According to Hildrebrand, the intervention program hosted a long during the pandemic 鈥� and matters haven鈥檛 improved much since. As of , around 400 children were placed on the list. Short staffing and low wages have been linked to the limited availability of Early Intervention, the Globe reported.
Different from other childcare services, Early Intervention is covered by private insurance or Medicaid, so providers are directly reimbursed, according to Hildebrand. In December, increased reimbursement rates for Early Intervention providers, writing that 鈥渙ur hope is that by increasing reimbursement rates sooner than later, we will help our provider and community partners to reduce wait times and increase staffing levels so that Rhode Island鈥檚 most vulnerable residents receive the care they need.鈥�
However, concerns remain regarding the long-term efficacy of these solutions: Hildebrand said the state will need continued federal support through the . This will be especially important given that President Joe Biden鈥檚 original Build Back Better plan 鈥� which Hildebrand said would have 鈥渇looded the system with additional funds to be able to do everything that we needed to do鈥� 鈥�
Although the McKee administration publicly stated their commitment to improved education last year, DeMaire said she hasn鈥檛 seen 鈥渁 huge shift鈥� in the quality of education yet.
Robert Hackey, adjunct lecturer in international and public affairs, said that identifying 鈥渁 more comprehensive approach to reforming education鈥� is essential to meet McKee鈥檚 goal of the Ocean State being 鈥渃omparable鈥� to Massachusetts.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot more here than just some targeted investments,鈥� he said.
Hildebrand stated that the way to increase state investment in child care is by increasing state revenue. She said the Association for the Education of Young Children is advocating for a tax on the highest earners in the state that could be earmarked for the childcare system.
The issue of early education is so critical, Hildebrand said, because it doesn鈥檛 just affect early childhood: the learning and developmental skills built in school help youth to become 鈥渇ully functioning young children, and then young adults, and then .鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
Research has demonstrated that money invested into early childhood programs leads to direct economic gains for a variety of reasons, such as increased income for mothers able to return to the workforce earlier. Some has suggested that every dollar invested in early childhood programs can yield a return on investment of between .
State of the State promises continued budget discipline
The State of the State Address also focused on other pressing issues affecting Rhode Islanders, such as the cost of living and housing. McKee promised to 鈥渞aise per capita income by a minimum of $20,000 by the year 2030.鈥� He also cited his 鈥渙ver a quarter-billion-dollar investment in housing in 2022鈥� as evidence of his commitment to creating more affordable housing.
Rhode Island has had one of the in the United States for decades, a fact McKee said he intends to address. He said his new budget will call for the inclusion of a $100 million housing production bond on the ballot, which would be the of its kind in state history.
Even though 鈥�100 million dollars is a lot of money, I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 enough to really make a significant dent in the affordable housing issue,鈥� Hackey said.
McKee also promised to keep the state budget in check 鈥� an in years past.
鈥淥ur budget will make key investments in education, small businesses and Rhode Island鈥檚 health care system without raising any broad-based taxes,鈥� McKee said.
Hackey said the parameters set by the McKee administration 鈥� committing to a balanced budget but also keeping taxes stable 鈥� could be difficult to achieve simultaneously. In 2021, the state benefited from dollars in American Rescue Plan Act funding, but only around of that aid money remains.
McKee cited measures intended to boost state revenue and improve Rhode Island鈥檚 business environment 鈥� Rhode Island recently ranked as the by WalletHub, a drop from being ranked the fifth worst in 2023.
But Hackey said some of these measures, such as reducing the from $400 to $350 or eliminating some filing fees, are only a small part of the larger solution
The state鈥檚 budget for transportation was also a point of concern from Hackey. He said the ongoing to route I-195 will present short-term budgeting problems due to the cost of repairs, and the small increases in money allocated to RIPTA are nowhere near enough to address their .
Hackey said that he understands the state鈥檚 desire to remain within the budget, but that there are more effective ways to keep spending reasonable while making impactful change.
鈥淚 think the state is very reasonable in saying, 鈥楲ook, we have to live within our means,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淔or me, I would rather see us target a few areas and really go all-in as opposed to a more scattershot approach.鈥�
Yael is a senior staff writer covering city and state politics. She is junior, and hails from the Bay Area.
