Last night, City Council’s Special Committee on Health, Opportunity, Prosperity, and Education (HOPE), chaired by President Pro Tempore Juan M. Pichardo, met to discuss a resolution in support of RI House Bill H-5335, which would return the Providence Public School District (PPSD) to local control this July.
After receiving testimony from officials representing the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), PPSD, the Providence School Board, and the mayor’s administration, the committee voted to continue the resolution indefinitely, citing widespread agreement that the city is well on the right track to resume governance of the school district in July 2026.
Presentations from RIDE and PPSD focused on gains in student outcomes and school performance across the district in 2024. PPSD was the only district in the state to show improvements on all major standardized assessments—ELA and math RICAS, and the SAT. Providence also led the state in reducing chronic absenteeism, and seven schools improved their star ratings. Notably, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary was named a National Blue Ribbon School, the first elementary school in PPSD to receive the distinction.
This presentation, as well as recent collaborative work between the various partners and stakeholders, bolstered the committee’s confidence that the city’s public schools are on the right path toward a successful transition next year.
“Providence’s students, families, and teachers are delivering results,” said Chairman Juan M. Pichardo. “This committee and the full Council are committed to working with RIDE, PPSD, the Mayor’s Office, the School Board, and community partners to do the hard work required to build on that progress, and ensure that local control is set up for long-term success. We believe that will be possible next year.”
In other business, the Committee unanimously passed a resolution opposing proposed funding cuts to the U.S. Department of Education, reaffirming the Council’s commitment to protecting public education and advocating for strong federal investment in Providence schools.
