News Summary
The Providence City Council voted against a 35-year lease for Carl Lauro Elementary School to Excel Academy, despite community support and an $80 million renovation plan. The decision follows significant advocacy from parents, but Council President Rachel Miller retracted her support before the vote. Parents expressed feelings of betrayal as opposition appeared aligned with teachers’ concerns over charter schools. Mayor Brett Smiley criticized the decision’s impact on education and financial resources, while Excel Academy pledged to continue seeking alternative locations for their charter school.
Providence City Council voted against a proposed 35-year lease for the vacant Carl Lauro Elementary School building to Excel Academy during a meeting held on July 24, 2025. The lease, which had received substantial community backing, aimed to expand educational options for children from low-income families by allowing Excel Academy to renovate the property.
The proposal included a significant $80 million investment for a full renovation of the Lauro building, with Excel Academy covering the entire cost. Additionally, the deal promised to offer ancillary benefits to the Providence Public School District (PPSD), local families, the city, and the surrounding neighborhood. Currently, the city incurs approximately $300,000 annually in maintenance and security costs for the vacant building, which has remained idle for the past two years.
On the day of the vote, parents wearing yellow T-shirts from the nonprofit organization Stop the Wait rallied at City Hall, pushing for the approval of the lease. Stop the Wait’s CEO reported that over 419 parents actively campaigned for the lease proposal, making thousands of phone calls and conducting door-to-door visits to garner community support.
Despite the considerable advocacy, City Council President Rachel Miller, who initially supported the lease negotiated with Mayor Brett Smiley and Excel staff, retracted her support just a day prior to the vote. Ultimately, the final decision resulted in an 8-4 rejection by the City Council.
Parents were caught off guard when they noticed that the applauding crowd in the council chamber consisted of teachers from the Providence Public School District. This led to feelings of betrayal among the parents, who believed the opposition stemmed from union concerns regarding charter schools, rather than prioritizing the welfare of students. Parents expressed disappointment at the lack of support for what they viewed as essential educational opportunities.
Charter schools in Rhode Island, such as Excel Academy, are public schools funded similarly to traditional district schools, but they follow different operational models and governance structures. Following the council’s decision, Excel Academy confirmed that it would continue seeking a suitable building to open as a charter school, regardless of the outcome at Lauro.
Mayor Brett Smiley condemned the City Council’s decision, stating it negatively impacts not just the school’s growth, but also the city’s financial situation, which could have benefited from the productive use of the currently underutilized public building. Council President Miller communicated in a newsletter dated July 23 that the council would not endorse transferring a public building to a charter school.
The context of this vote occurs within a broader framework of educational funding issues facing Providence, including a $15 million lawsuit against the city for alleged underfunding of education, which heightens the need for alternative funding solutions to address fiscal pressures.
Excel Academy’s Superintendent has voiced a commitment to continue the fight for enhancing educational opportunities for children in Providence, despite the setback from the City Council. This vote and its aftermath underscore the ongoing tensions and complexities present in the interactions between charter and district schools within the Providence education landscape, raising significant questions about resource allocation and community participation in educational policy decisions.
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Additional Resources
- Rhode Island Current: Anti-Charter School Stance on Providence City Council
- Wikipedia: Charter School
- WPRI: Providence Committee Considering Plan for Vacant Elementary School Building
- Google Search: Providence City Council charter school
- Steve Ahlquist: Opposition to the Excel Academy Lease
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Charter Schools
- Boston Globe: Commentary on Lauro School & Excel Academy Charter Education
- Google News: Providence school lease
Author: STAFF HERE PROVIDENCE WRITER
PROVIDENCE STAFF WRITER The PROVIDENCE STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREProvidence.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Providence, Providence County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as WaterFire, Rhode Island International Film Festival, and Rhode Island Comic Con. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce and Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, plus leading businesses in finance and manufacturing that power the local economy such as Citizens Financial Group and Textron. As part of the broader HERE network, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Rhode Island's dynamic landscape.
