Infante-Green Announces Financial Analysis of Providence Schools

Published on Monday, September 16, 2019

Partnership for Rhode Island to Support Deep Dive into District's Financial Health 

PROVIDENCE, RI - With the state one step closer to assuming control of the Providence Public School District (PPSD), Commissioner of Education Angélica Infante-Green announced today that the district will undergo a comprehensive financial analysis this fall. This step comes after Friday’s show cause hearing, and in advance of a Final Decision and Order for Reconstitution being issued in the next three weeks.

Like the ongoing efforts surrounding community engagement, this financial analysis will help inform a turnaround action plan for Providence schools.

“Budgets reflect priorities, and when systems are broken, finances typically are, too. In order to set Providence schools on a new path, we need to understand how funds are being spent now and how they may be repurposed to better support students and teachers in the future,” said Infante-Green. “It is time for best practices – not the usual practices – to guide decision-making in our schools.”

The financial analysis, which is anticipated to take two to three months, will be conducted by the firm Ernst & Young LLP and funded by the Partnership for Rhode Island. The Partnership, a coalition of CEOs from some of the state’s largest businesses, also funded the initial Johns Hopkins report on PPSD that kickstarted the turnaround process.

“Planning for the future of the Providence Public Schools starts with understanding its current financial status. We hope this analysis will help provide a roadmap for an efficient use of resources that prioritizes student achievement, principal empowerment, teacher development, and district improvement,” said Tom Giordano, executive director of the Partnership for Rhode Island.

At the same time that the financial analysis is underway, Commissioner Infante-Green and the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) will continue to convene work sessions and opportunities for the community to come together, including a series of weekly and monthly meetings announced last week that will allow Providence stakeholders to participate in the PPSD turnaround. 

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