Education

The Rhode Island chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has sent another letter to Barrington school officials, warning them that a selective admissions program may violate the law.

Barrington has announced plans to admit up to 10 students from other towns. Under the proposal, those students would pay $13,000 a year to attend the highly ranked school district.

More children are living with grandparents and other relatives, according to a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. In Rhode Island, an estimated 6,000 children are in that situation. Rhode Island Kids Count Executive Director Elizabeth Burke Bryant says it’s not always easy for grandparents or aunts and uncles to become primary caretakers.

“It’s a hard job, it’s something that really strains resources in their own family structure,” Burke Bryant explains. “And yet they are stepping up in order to provide care during these periods of difficulty.”

The Rhode Island School of Design has a new leader for its governing board. The art school has elected Michael Spalter, a businessman with a vast personal collection of digital ar, to chair its board of trustees.

Spalter replaces outgoing RISD Board Chair Merrill Sherman, who will stay on as a member of the board for three years. Sherman led the search for the school’s current president, John Maeda, who has proved unpopular with many faculty.

Spalter is married to the artist Anne Spalter, who has a studio in Pawtucket. She’s a graduate of both RISD and Brown University.

State Education Commissioner Deborah Gist holds a public meeting tonight in Central Falls. She’ll take questions from the community while seated alongside a panel of local school leaders.

Numerous concerns have emerged about the tiny school district in the wake of the Central Falls bankruptcy. The school department has agreed to merge some services with the city including finance, human resources and sports.