Last week, the Department of Education warned state education agencies may lose federal funding if they do not comply with the department’s interpretation of anti-discrimination laws that may limit diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Since President Trump has entered office, teachers, students and Mayor Brett Smiley have expressed concerns at the prospect of federal funding being removed from the Providence Public School District.
For the fiscal year 2024-25, the PPSD proposed a total spending plan of $506 million. This included $78 million from federal funds and reimbursable grants, or 15.4% of the total budget.
At a Feb. 12 press conference, Smiley said the cuts would be “catastrophic— not just for Providence, but for every school district in Rhode Island.”
The PPSD is predominantly funded by local sources. In November 2024, the City of Providence reached an agreement with RIDE on funding the PPSD, stating that the city would pay an additional $15 million by 2025.
Julianna Espinal, a 17-year-old PPSD student and a member of local activist group OurSchoolsPVD, said that federal funding greatly benefited her experience at school during the COVID-19 pandemic. Providence received over $120 million in federal relief funds, which were used for a variety of programs and to cover a PPSD budget deficit in 2024.
Smiley said that changes at the federal level have led to “uncertainty” about the impacts on the PPSD and Providence. “We’ve not yet seen any policy changes that have jeopardized the fate of our schools,” Smiley said.
Armando Ramos, a 16-year-old student and member of the Providence Student Union, said that Trump’s recent announcements have changed students’ attitudes toward school.
“Before he was sworn into presidency, most people loved school,” he said. “Most people are negative now.”
He shared federal funding also supports his family and job. He said his family is not financially stable and is currently supported by federal funding.
Anna Kuperman ’94 MAT’97, a teacher at Classical High School, said that she doesn’t know what the future holds for the PPSD due to federal changes.
Kids “are worried about what’s going to happen, if school is a safe place to be or not,” she added.
Amid changes at the federal level, Smiley is still trying for local change. The PPSD has been under state takeover since 2019, and Smiley has pushed for a return to local control by July 1.
A City report shared last week found “frustration, confusion and breakdown of trust” in the PPSD, Smiley said. “It gives me no pleasure to report that 58% of the survey respondents report that the schools have moved in the wrong direction.”
The city surveyed and spoke with about 1,200 people, including teachers, students and families affiliated with the PPSD.
Last Monday, the Rhode Island Department of Education announced a timeline and a number of goals to facilitate the return to local control — with 2026 projected as the earliest date. In response to RIDE’s projected goals, Smiley said that they were “optimistic that they (would) be able to accomplish those tasks and demonstrate readiness” by July 1.
To Espinal, the ongoing conflict between RIDE and the PPSD was not productive in the context of federal changes to education. “I think that unity is probably the best mechanism that we can employ right now,” she said.
Smiley similarly emphasized the importance of unity between RIDE and the PPSD to retain federal funds.
“We will continue to be strong advocates together, state and local, to ensure that the stability our students require in the form of federal funds … forever remain in place,” he said.
But Kuperman still feels that a return to local control is crucial. “A return to local control will mean that the school board can have a voice again,” Kuperman shared.
While many community members shared concern about funding issues, Kuperman shared that at the moment, she worries mostly about her immigrant students who may disproportionately face consequences from recent Trump administration immigration policies: “It all feels really unstable and scary.”
Correction: A previous version of this story stated that Julianna Espinal is 16 years old. She is 17 years old. The Herald regrets the error.
