Mandates public schools (K-12) have one full-time certified social worker for every 250 students and allocates $2 million in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget for school districts and municipalities to hire additional social workers.

Rhode Island School Social Worker Bill

This bill would require all Rhode Island public schools (kindergarten through 12th grade) to employ at least one full-time, certified social worker for every 250 students enrolled. This means larger schools would need to have multiple social workers on staff to meet the required ratio. The bill also sets aside $2 million in the state's Fiscal Year 2025 budget to help school districts and municipalities cover the cost of hiring these additional social workers.

The bill would primarily affect public school students, their families, and school districts across Rhode Island. School social workers help students with a wide range of challenges, including mental health concerns, family difficulties, attendance problems, and connecting families to community resources. Under current conditions, many schools may not have enough social workers to meet this new required ratio, meaning districts would need to hire additional staff to comply with the law. The $2 million in funding is intended to help ease that financial burden on local school districts.

Currently, this bill has been introduced and referred to the House Finance Committee, which means it is in the early stages of the legislative process. The committee will review the bill, including its costs and potential impact, before deciding whether to move it forward for a full vote. If passed, it would represent a significant change to staffing requirements in Rhode Island's public schools.