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By some metrics, things are looking up for the Providence Public School District (PPSD). Students are coming to class more often. Their standardized test scores are rising. And more of them are graduating high school.

These are a few of the accomplishments the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) highlights in a released Friday 鈥� an epilogue to the agency鈥檚 intervention in the capital city鈥檚 public schools, which went under state control in 2019.

鈥淭he measurable progress made under the state intervention is undeniable,鈥� Education Commissioner Ang茅lica Infante-Green wrote in the introduction to the report. 鈥淧PSD has not only stabilized, but it is moving forward with real momentum.鈥�

On the other end of the takeover鈥檚 nearly seven-year timeline is a different report: A prepared by a team of researchers who documented a school system plagued by systemic issues 鈥� problems severe enough that the report garnered national attention when released.

Infante-Green writes in the introduction to her agency鈥檚 new report that its Johns Hopkins predecessor was a 鈥渉eartbreaking鈥� and 鈥渄evastating鈥� document, one that showcased 鈥渄eteriorating buildings, inconsistent curriculum, ineffective central-office practices, and systemic inequities that created barriers to the academic success for the district鈥檚 historically underserved students.鈥�

Some of the most tangible transformation in Providence has been made on that first bullet point: Six new or renovated schools opened during the intervention, compared to only one built in the 15 years prior to the takeover. According to the RIDE report, there are 14 additional school construction or renovation projects still underway or planned. Seven projects are slated for completion in the next two years, while the remainder have no projected completion date yet.

Overall, across all 20 projects finished and unfinished, the state鈥檚 contributions to capital improvement in the district could reach nearly $984.6 million 鈥� an investment buoyed by $665 million in school construction bonds approved by the city鈥檚 voters between 2020 and 2024.

A less flashy but still important quality-of-life improvement made during the takeover: A drinking fountain in all 37 of the district鈥檚 schools. The 鈥渂ubblers,鈥� RIDE鈥檚 report notes invoking a Rhode Island colloquialism, supply clean and filtered water for all schools, addressing the numerous reports of brown and often lead-contaminated water that poured from school taps back in 2019, per the Johns Hopkins report.

What the metrics say

Buildings improved during the takeover, but what was happening inside? RIDE鈥檚 new self-assessment gives a less concrete answer as to how much academics have improved since 2019.

Students鈥� math proficiency rose from 11.9% in 2019 to 16.4% in 2025. English language arts proficiency inched up, from 17.2% to 17.7%. Both numbers translate to more than four out of five Providence students remaining below grade-level expectations.

A four-year graduation rate of 79% in 2024, however, was the highest in district history, the report noted. The statewide rate that year was 84.1%.

Chronic absenteeism, which peaked at 57.1% during the 2021-22 school year, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, fell to 29.3% in 2024-25.

Pre-K capacity also increased during the takeover, from 352 available seats in 2019 to 940 in the 2025-2026 school year. Dual-language enrollment also grew, expanding into high schools and rising from 1,065 to 1,968 seats across grade levels in the district.

In a Monday email, Providence School Board President Ty鈥橰elle Stephens said the report 鈥渄id a strong job highlighting many of the accomplishments achieved during the state intervention,鈥� including 鈥渉istoric investment鈥� in facilities and expanded career and technical education (CTE) and dual language programs and offerings.

鈥淭hese are meaningful accomplishments that represent real progress for Providence students and families, and that progress deserves to be recognized,鈥� Stephens wrote.

Still, the academic data was not entirely celebratory for Stephens, who noted that most Providence students currently fail to meet grade-level expectations. Third-grade English Language Arts proficiency 鈥渞emains below where it was when the takeover began,鈥� he said.

Stephens also pointed out a somewhat deceptive statistic: 14.3% of the city鈥檚 high school juniors met or exceeded expectations on the SAT math exam last year. But that rate fell to 3.8% when excluding scores from Classical High School, which has consistently statewide in national ranking lists.

鈥極rganizational paralysis鈥�

RIDE鈥檚 report is also intended to serve as a blueprint for Providence leaders to build upon now that the district is back under local control.

Some of the sharper instructions from RIDE come near the end of the report, on page 51, which outlines 鈥淩oles and Responsibilities鈥� upon the district鈥檚 return to local control, which formally resumed July 1.

The 2019 Johns Hopkins report 鈥渃alled out overlapping spheres of authority among the mayor, superintendent, school board and union,鈥� RIDE recaps in its new report, adding that this helped inflict an 鈥渙rganizational paralysis鈥� on the district.

鈥淚t is critical that PPSD doesn鈥檛 return to a state of competing authority and organizational paralysis,鈥� the RIDE report reads, and references a declaratory order issued on June 30, the final day of state control.

The order bars Providence from reclaiming unspent money for its general fund, and it also specifies that only the superintendent 鈥� not the School Board 鈥� has the authority to appoint administrators in the district.

The order derived in part from a proposal from Stephens earlier in the year that would have eliminated a labor and employment counsel role at PPSD, and redirected those funds to two staff positions, a director and coordinator, who would report to the School Board.

The order did not give a final legal interpretation of Stephens鈥� proposal, citing 鈥渢he absence of a more complete evidentiary record,鈥� but added that 鈥渨ould appear to usurp the Superintendent鈥檚 express statutory powers.鈥�

鈥嬧�婽he recommendations in RIDE鈥檚 new report cites the declaratory order in its outline of shared authority going forward, but 鈥渋t is important to be clear that they are recommendations,鈥� Stephens wrote.

鈥淭hey are advisory and do not, on their own, carry the force of law,鈥� the school board president added. 鈥淣evertheless, the Board has taken them seriously. We developed a public transition dashboard and have already addressed, or begun addressing, many of them.鈥�

To sustain the district鈥檚 successes, RIDE鈥檚 report states the city must commit long-term funding 鈥� something that remained a big question for state officials when determining whether to relinquish control back to local officials.

Then-Providence-Mayor Jorge Elorza and the City Council the state in a court battle in 2021 over the city鈥檚 alleged underfunding of its schools, which ultimately led to the state securing a in 2024.

鈥淥ne area I would have welcomed more guidance on is the academic path forward,鈥� Stephens noted, adding that 鈥渃lear recommendations around accelerating student achievement and closing persistent opportunity and achievement gaps would be valuable鈥� to both the school board and the district.

Wrote Stephens: 鈥淸I]n the end, our success will not be measured simply by who governs Providence Public Schools, but by something far more important: whether our children are learning, whether they are thriving, and whether every student, in every neighborhood, has a genuine opportunity to reach their fullest potential.鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Rhode Island Current maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janine L. Weisman for questions: [email protected].

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