School Closings: The Next Battle for Taveras

School Closings: The Next Battle for Taveras

In addition to his deteriorating relationship with the Providence Teachers Union, Mayor Angel Taveras will face pushback from multiple communities when he releases the list of schools he plans to close in the coming weeks, a former Mayor said Friday.

Taveras garnered national attention this week after his decision to issue dismissal notices to every teacher in the school district. On Wednesday, he confirmed that in addition to teacher layoffs, “there will be fewer schools open next year.”

Lombardi Questions Mayor

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Former Mayor and City Council President John Lombardi said he was surprised to hear Taveras’ plans and questioned how they will impact the children of Providence.

“It started with the teachers but [Mayor Taveras] took it to another level with the school closings,” Lombardi said. “I don’t understand why this happened. [Union President] Steve Smith and [Superintendent] Tom Brady have gotten national recognition for working together and now this.”

Lombardi said school closings don’t just hurt teachers. They also leave students in the city displaced.

“In many cases, school is the only predictable thing these kids have in their lives,” he said. “Often the neighborhoods that can afford it the least are affected the most.”

Schools Closed Last Year

This isn’t the first time in recent memory that the city has made a decision to close schools. Last year, after consultants identified schools with structural problems, out-of-date classrooms and teaching equipment and declining enrollment, Superintendent Brady recommended seven schools close.

After public input that involved numerous heated exchanges, the city ultimately chose to close just two schools: Perry Middle School and Feinstein High School.

While the details about this year’s closings remain far from complete, it is expected that similar public forums will be held as the process moves forward. Communication Director Melissa Withers said the list of schools has yet to be determined and probably won’t be released for a couple of weeks.

The Process

According to the School Closing/Consolidation policy on the School Department’s website, the Superintendent is the first person to make recommendations for closure. The policy states that the School Board and the Superintendent, in consultation with the community, will considers a number of factors in regards to school closings ranging from long-range need for school facilities in the area to socio-economic and racial balance.

The Superintendent will deem what schools are necessary for closure because low enrollments, high operational costs or such buildings that are in need of extensive renovations that the School Department cannot respond to.

After the recommendation, the School Board holds a hearing, in which the public is expected to be notified and invited to attend. Within 30 days after the initial hearing, the School Board will then offer a formal response on the proposed school closings.

A Difficult Process

City Councilman Sam Zurier has firsthand experience dealing with school closures. When he was serving as School Board member, he recalls having to close a school due to poor performance. Although it was nearly a decade ago, he said he can recall the hearings and the public outrage.

Zurier said he expected the minimum amount of public discussion this time around will be the required hearing. But similar to last year’s situation, he said it was likely the city and the school department will hold more than one meeting.

He said closing a school is a tough decision to make.

“It’s a very difficult process,” Zurier said. “You have kids, parents and teachers and everyone wants to make a case for the school.”