There was plenty of understandable handwringing across the state when local colleges began developing plans to welcome students back to campus in late summer.
How could they ensure student and staff safety amid the pandemic?
It was a leap of faith for everyone involved but backed by evolving planning, testing and enforcement of rules and procedures. And in the end, a clear success, according to a PBN review of COVID-19 testing data from nine local colleges.
From Aug. 1 through Nov. 17, the state reported 28,672 COVID-19 cases, but just 3.9% of those were from the campuses of the nine schools. The schools include the state’s eight private colleges and the University of Rhode Island.
Curiously, Rhode Island is one of just two New England states (Maine is the other) that has not provided funding to local colleges from federal pandemic relief aid.
Given the hundreds of millions in unspent federal COVID-19 relief aid Rhode Island still has, state leaders need to correct this oversight and reimburse the schools for a critical job well-done.