PROVIDENCE – The Providence Public Library has confirmed that five staffers have been laid off and that notices were sent to an additional six union members as the organization awaits word on the status of relied-upon federal funds funneled through the R.I. Department of Education and other state agencies.
Tonia Mason, PPL marketing and communication director, said the nonprofit will immediately begin reducing its Tuesday hours and may institute further cost-cutting measures.
Mason said the initial five layoffs, which she declined to specify but said were “taken in a way to allow us to maintain core services,” were part of an ongoing effort to stabilize the library's financial position and “ensure our long-term sustainability.”
A GoFundMe campaign organized by the local chapter of the United Service and Allied Workers of Rhode Island and which has raised $1,400 as of Thursday, says the staffing reductions at the library were all "in public facing positions."
More than 80% of PPL revenues, which amounted to $8.7 million in fiscal 2023, comes from private sources such as donations from private, family and corporate foundations. But the PPL relies heavily on the various restricted public grants that fund its educational initiatives.
This fiscal year PPL was budgeted $1.52 million in state aid and is set to receive $329,500 from the administration of Mayor Brett P. Smiley.
But the uncertainty over the amont of RIDE funding in particular, which the PPL has yet to receive, has put the nonprofit in a financial holding pattern, said Mason, adding that getting up-to-date information from RIDE officials has become increasingly "difficult."
"There is also state funding for adult education that is wrapped into the federal funding," she said. "They have not been dispersing those funds."
After $29.4 million in federal education funding to Rhode Island that had been withheld in June by the U.S. Department of Education was released on July 28, PPL hoped that at least part of its budget challenges had been avoided.
But as of Thursday they were still awaiting clarification from RIDE over what funding may or may not become available and whether the Trump administration was adding any additional restrictions, said Mason.
“We don't have all the specifics yet as to just what [and] how much funding we will have and if there are any restrictions on it,” she said. “But we are hopeful that we will be able to continue with our current staffing and programs in adult education.”
It's not just PPL that is facing the crunch. Mason said there are 19 organizations that provide similar programming throughout the state that are in a similar position.
"If this continues, we are talking about more than layoffs at PPL," she said. "This can have a major impact."
RIDE spokesperson Victor Morente said that the department is now sifting through the various notifications and updates from the federal government, and that an announcement of unfrozen funds is not the same thing as an actual wire transfer to state coffers.
As of Thursday RIDE had yet to receive a number of so-called "award letters" confirming the money was on its way.
"Until then we couldn't say we actually had the funds to distribute," he said.
Mason said there could be additional layoffs.
“We remain uncertain at this time just what the total number may be," she said.
Christopher Allen is a staff writer for PBN. He can be reached at Allen@PBN.com.
