Providence councilors send school-control, funding and audit measures to General Assembly, back Senate commission recommendations

Providence — The Providence City Council on Thursday approved a set of resolutions and referrals urging the state General Assembly to restore local control of Providence public schools, increase local funding oversight and consider recommendations from a special Senate commission aimed at improving the district.

Councilors sent multiple items to the General Assembly, including a measure identified in the meeting as H-5389 that the council said would "end the public school takeover," bar the state from withholding funds from local districts and require greater fiscal fairness. Councilors also approved a resolution asking for increased local contributions to schools and independent audits to track spending.

The council’s action was framed as sending a policy package and a signal to state lawmakers. "Once again, this is another item that's going to go to the general assembly, and it calls for the ending of the public school takeover," a councilor said during discussion of item 12. The same speaker urged colleagues to support the related items as messages to state leaders.

Separately, the council endorsed a resolution supporting the recommendations of the special Senate commission on Providence Public Schools. The commission’s report, noted during the meeting, recommends a range of changes the council described as a "strategic roadmap" for improving the system, including collaborative collective bargaining, site‑based management and expanded use of the Crowley Act. "The recommendations from the Senate Commission are a small but important part of the solution," a councilor said while urging support for item 28.

Councilwoman Helen Anthony, identified in the meeting as chair of the committee that reviewed the commission’s work, spoke in favor of continuing the committee process and preparing the city to receive control if the state acts. "We need to continue to work on creating these opportunities for our students to be successful, and we look forward to hearing and pressing our leadership at the state level that we're going to be ready to receive our schools," she said.

All education items discussed were approved procedurally at the council meeting and referred as appropriate to committees or be sent to the General Assembly. Several councilors said the measures are intended as both practical proposals (funding and audits) and statements urging state action.

The council did not adopt a local ordinance on schools at the meeting and made no binding budget changes; the actions consisted of resolutions and referrals to state and city committees. The council’s discussion included repeated calls to coordinate with educators, families and state leaders in any transition back to local control.

Looking ahead, councilors said they will continue committee-level work and coordination with state legislators, and they urged residents to follow committee schedules for hearings and updates.