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Parents urge transparency on kindergarten caps and press for district literacy supports
Summary
During public comment, parents described sudden classroom reductions and registration confusion that left neighborhood families on waiting lists, and asked the district for clearer notifications and more certified literacy interventionists for students with dyslexia.
Several parents used the public-comment period to press the East Providence School Committee for clearer registration communications and stronger literacy supports.
Courtney Ross said she had been unable to access child care exchange services and raised concerns about families being assigned to schools outside their neighborhoods, calling for greater transparency from administration on registration deadlines and policy.
Julie Lauderbach said her child’s registration was secured only because of preschool services and that two kindergarten classrooms were cut; she said those classrooms are now capped at 25 students and that a waiting list has formed. "Without the preschool services," she said, "we would be in a similar boat" to other families who could not register on time. Lauderbach urged the district to publicize registration deadlines and unexpected classroom reductions.
Kim Morado, speaking as a parent and teacher, praised Superintendent Dr Frand’s long service and defended the administration’s handling of layoffs, noting that eight of 11 teachers had been recalled. Morado also cited Rhode Island law governing teacher dismissal (R.I. Gen. Laws 16-13-30) when describing the statutory timeline for notices.
Tori Jessup Crowley asked the committee to hold a districtwide parent workshop on literacy and requested information on the number of certified personnel trained in Wilson Reading and Orton-Gillingham approaches, saying students who require tiered interventions need access to staff trained in structured literacy.
District staff acknowledged the questions and said they would follow up with the superintendent and circulate requested information to the committee.
