"Unified" School Design at Center of Settlement in 360 High School Federal Lawsuit

"Unified" School Design at Center of Settlement in 360 High School Federal Lawsuit

The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), Providence Public School District (PPSD), and the Rhode Island Center for Justice announced they have reached an agreement with respect to the recent class action filed in federal court seeking to enjoin the closure of 360 High School and have together asked Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. to approve their settlement of all pending claims.

The lawsuit was filed in April on behalf of multilingual learner students and their parents by the Center for Justice "to prevent the closing of the 360 High School in Providence. Spanish speaking students who attend the school and their families are asking the Federal Court to protect their right to the exceptionally supportive and inclusive education they receive at 360 High School and the unprecedented language access the school provides them as multilingual learners." 

On Wednesday, RIDE, PPSD, and plaintiffs issued the following joint statement: 

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“We are all committed to supporting students, families, and teachers while ensuring the success of a unified school community at the redesigned Juanita Sanchez Educational Complex (JSEC). The agreement we have reached considers input from 360 High School students and families to preserve certain laudable aspects of the school in alignment with the approved redesign plan for the unified school that will offer greater access to high-quality learning experiences aimed to support post-secondary and career success with a focus on Rhode Island’s growing life sciences industry. The Rhode Island Department of Education and Providence Public Schools will continue to work closely with students, families, staff, and community partners to foster a school community at the new, unified school, that promotes academic excellence and offers a welcoming and supportive learning environment where all students can thrive. The families’ focus in the case has been on ensuring that multilingual learners and their families have positive educational experiences in the new school and the parties are pleased to be able to reach this agreement with that goal in mind."

“I am glad that we were able to have our voices heard. I will stay actively involved in my son’s education at the unified school.” said Plaintiff Lucia Mejia, on behalf of her son. “I feel good that through this process I was able to have my concerns about my son’s learning needs addressed.” 

 

About Settlement

According to the parties, the unified school will operate consistent with the Redesign Plan approved by the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education in July 2023. Through that Plan, the District had already committed and started working to implement efforts that align to the agreement including:

Offering an advisory class for students.
Emphasizing restorative justice practices for community building and student safety.
Offering interpretation and translation services for students and families, as already required by PPSD’s 2018 Settlement Agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Supporting every student with the development of an Individual Learning Plan (ILP), as already required by the state’s 2022 Secondary Regulations.
And implementing project and mastery-based learning in alignment with the approved Redesign Plan.