S177 would place a proposed constitutional amendment before voters to create a state constitutional right to an "adequate education" and equal opportunity to receive that education.
The Rhode Island State Senate passed S177 on April 8, 2025 by a vote of 35 to 0. We have assigned pluses to the nays because education is not the proper role of government, but the constitutionally protected responsibility of parents. This proposal would further entrench government control over education and tie the hands of future lawmakers by constitutionally obligating them to fund it. Education should be privately directed, with parents—not the government—making decisions about what is best for their children.
