Pawtucket celebrates start of school year

PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WLNE) — It’s that time of year again already.

The Pawtucket School Department held a ceremony Monday morning marking the start of the new school year.

Across Rhode Island, schools will open their doors this week for the 2023-24 school year. Some, like Barrington Public Schools, started Monday. While others, like Pawtucket, will start later in the week — on Wednesday.

The school community is celebrating with a new playground and superintendent. The district is now under the helm of a new superintendent, Patricia Royal.

Royal spent Monday morning going from building to building, meeting all of the staff in the district, and making introductions to herself and the staff she’s built to focus on improving Pawtucket schools.

Royal also addressed all teachers and staff ahead of the official start of the school year. The ceremony was held at the Curvin-McCabe Elementary School on Cottage Street.

While there, she spoke about her new path for Pawtucket, and her motto: “Together, every student, every day.”

“Together we will make progress and support our community and continue to get better until our better is our best, every day,” Royal told teachers and staff. “The district doesn’t run if not for you [the teachers]. Each one of you.”