Elorza sues Commissioner Infante-Green, Education Department over funding for schools

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) – An ongoing dispute between the City of Providence and the Department of Education over the public schools has reached court.

Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza, along with the Providence City Council, has filed a lawsuit in Superior Court against Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green and the state Department of Education (RIDE).

The lawsuit alleges that RIDE has been withholding funding from the Providence School District.

The state formally took over the Providence Public School System in November 2019.

A spokesperson for RIDE sent ABC6 the following statement:

“The Providence Public School District has been historically underfunded by the City through their practice of level-funding their contribution to schools, otherwise known as the maintenance of effort. In fact, funding for PPSD stayed stagnant for 6 years from 2011-2017, while the District was in clear crisis and amidst a statewide moratorium on school facility spending. This is unacceptable and at its core, and reflects an equity issue within government budgeting. Our students deserved better than this.

While RIDE has not been served with the Complaint at this time, the Commissioner has the statutory authority to enforce violations of school law, including the Crowley Act. That includes recouping funding that should be allocated to the district under the terms of the statute.”