Charter Review Commission Recommends a Hybrid Elected/Appointed School Board to the City Council

Providence, RI – After more than six months of weekly meetings with city department heads and public input, the Charter Review Commission, chaired by City Council President John Igliozzi, made recommendations to the City Council on charter changes, including a hybrid elected and appointed school board. The city’s charter review process occurs every 10 years, per the Home Rule Charter. Here are the highlights of the proposed school board:

• Hybrid school board with 10 total members
• 5 elected board members from 5 equal regions of the city (North,South,East,West,Central) for a 4-year term
• Non-partisan elections in 2024 (terms to begin in January of 2025)
• 5 appointed board members by the mayor with a 3-year term (to be phased in 2025)
• No more than 2 appointed board members selected from the same region
• Board members will have no taxing authority

Charter Review Commission background:

First established in January of 1992, the Charter Review Commission was appointed to review the Charter (essentially the city’s constitution) and recommend changes to the city council. The commission is made up of nine (9) members, four (4) are appointed by the mayor, and five (5) by the city council. The commission has a maximum of eight (8) months from the date of its appointment to complete a report and submit its findings to the city council. The recommendations will now be forwarded to the Providence City Council for consideration and a vote following a public hearing to solicit feedback from Providence residents. Potentially all recommendations will be presented before voters on a November ballot.

“A consistent driving force to create this hybrid school board was to make sure that every neighborhood and every constituency has a seat at the Providence School Board table. This proposal expands representation for all and achieves that goal,” said Council President John Igliozzi.

To learn more about the Charter Review process:

https://council.providenceri.gov/charter-review/

Commission Members:

Council President John J. Igliozzi, Chair

Councilman Oscar Vargas, Vice-Chair

Councilwoman Carmen Castillo

Councilman James Taylor

Bryan Principe

Ellen Cynar

Tiana Ochoa

Robert L. Ricci

Wayne Montague