Providence school leaders present FY26 budget, flag staffing cuts and enrollment, charter-school impacts

Providence Public School Department leaders on Tuesday presented a proposed fiscal 2026 operating budget to the Providence City Committee on Finance that would cut about 94.6 full‑time equivalent positions, rely in part on one‑time reserve funds if a pending state change does not pass and leave several cost pressures — special‑education services, transportation and charter‑school tuition — as key budget drivers.

The presentation to the Committee on Finance, led by the department’s superintendent and Deputy Superintendent Zach, outlined revenue and expense projections for FY26, including a projected roughly $9.6 million increase in state aid in the department’s mid‑March estimate and a contingency plan that would use about $2.5 million of district fund balance if the state Legislature does not increase the “success factor” for students experiencing poverty from 40% to a proposed 43%.

The budget matters because it funds day‑to‑day school operations — salaries, benefits and student services — and because the district is balancing rising costs for students with complex needs, state uncertainty and the ongoing effect of charter‑school enrollment on local funding. Superintendent (name not specified in the transcript) told the committee, “we are making those gains. we are making growth. we are moving in the right direction,” and urged continued partnership with the city to sustain investments.

Key points from the presentation and the committee’s questions:

- Revenues and contingencies: The department estimates a net increase in available revenue driven…