Home Nonprofit & Education Education K-12 panel approves return of Providence schools to city control

K-12 panel approves return of Providence schools to city control

By

Matthew McNulty

-

05/27/2026

Classical high school — THE R.I. COUNCIL on Elementary and Secondary Education voted to return Providence Public Schools to local control Tuesday evening. / COURTESY CLASSICAL HIGH SCHOOL

PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Council on Elementary and Secondary Education approved the return of the Providence Public Schools to city control on Tuesday, which could end more than six years of state oversight and possibly setting up a formal transition on July 1. R.I. Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green called the vote a “significant milestone,” saying

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PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Council on Elementary and Secondary Education approved the return of the Providence Public Schools to city control on Tuesday, which could end more than six years of state oversight and possibly setting up a formal transition on July 1.

R.I. Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green called the vote a “significant milestone,” saying the state intervention had “fundamentally transformed the conditions for success” in Providence schools, while noting that “much work remains” and that sustaining progress will require continued commitment from local leaders.

The Providence School Board is scheduled to meet Wednesday at 6 p.m. to review the transition plan, the Rhode Island Current reported.

The takeover began in 2019 following a Johns Hopkins University report that found widespread systemic failures in the district and was later extended amid pandemic disruptions. It had been originally scheduled to continue through October 2027.

On May 20, Gov. Daniel J. McKee informed Mayor Brett P. Smiley of the plan.

Less than an hour later, McKee publicly announced it during a televised interview with WJAR-TV NBC 10.

A day later, Smiley said the decision itself was expected, though the timing was not.

“The outcome is not surprising at all,” Smiley said. “The precise timing was a little surprising.”

The mayor credited the state intervention with progress in areas including attendance, absenteeism and multilingual learner certification.

Meanwhile, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Helena Buonanno Foulkes criticized the timing of the announcement, calling it abrupt and poorly coordinated.

Discussions on returning the district to city control accelerated last year following a state review of readiness and a 2025 transition roadmap outlining steps toward restoring local governance.

Matthew McNulty is a PBN staff writer. He can be reached at McNulty@PBN.com or on X at @MattMcNultyNYC.