State Extends Providence Schools Takeover Through 2027

The Rhode Island Department of Education proposed a compromise date of June 30, 2027, for ending the state takeover of Providence schools. The plan would keep the state education commissioner in control for one additional school year while avoiding a transition during the 2027-2028 academic year.

The current end date remains October 2027. City leaders had hoped to move the transition forward to this summer. A Senate Education Committee hearing is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon on legislation that would end the takeover on June 30.

Plan Details Providence School Board President Ty’Relle

Stephens released a memo this week outlining a transition plan developed between lawyers for the Rhode Island Department of Education and the school board. The plan would begin July 1, 2026, and return full control to the city by June 30, 2027, pending approval by the state Council on Elementary and Secondary Education.

McKee faces an uphill reelection campaign.

Democratic primary challenger Helena Foulkes has pledged to remove the education commissioner if elected. Mayor Brett Smiley is also facing a primary challenge from state Representative David Morales. Neither candidate has outlined a specific vision for the Providence school system.

School board members have expressed frustration with repeated changes in criteria for returning oversight to the city. Rhode Island Department of Education leadership maintains that the board is not yet ready to assume control of the school system. The takeover began in 2019 and has now lasted nearly seven years.