Providence’s new half-elected, half-appointed school board will finally be in place by the end of the week.
And then the actual work begins.
The Providence City Council is expected to confirm Melissa Hughes, Anjel Newmann, Jenny Mercado, Night Jean Muhingabo, and Steven Williamson at its meeting on Thursday night.
They’ll be joined by the five members elected in November: Corey Jones, Michelle Lee Fontes, Heidi Silverio, Mireya Mendoza, and Tyrelle Stephens.
What’s next: The new school board will then schedule an organizational meeting for next week to elect a president, and two candidates have been jockeying for that spot behind the scenes: Stephens and Silverio.
Stephens, who was appointed to the board by former mayor Jorge Elorza and then won the seat on his own, appears to have the inside track on the presidency, with Mayor Brett Smiley’s team quietly supporting that effort.
Silverio can’t be counted out, especially since this is the first time any member of the new school board has had to take a contentious vote for a leadership position to any board. She has impressed her new colleagues with temperament and willingness to learn.
The bigger picture: While the race for the presidency plays out behind the scenes, there is little difference between Stephens and Silverio (and most of the rest of the board) when it comes to ending the state takeover of Providence schools.
Smiley has said he’d like the schools to return by July 1, which is part of his case to state lawmakers for allowing him to raise taxes beyond the 4 percent levy later this year. Education Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green wants the takeover to continue until October 2027.
The natural resolution could be to meet in the middle and settle for July 2026, but that would come during a tough Democratic primary for Governor Dan McKee, who is expected to square off with Helena Foulkes. Smiley could also face a credible primary opponent if state Representative David Morales decides to enter the race.
The school board will have very little power until the city regains control of the school system, but it will have an elevated voice over major issues like the currently expired teachers’ union contract and funding.
📺 Dan McGowan was on “12 News this Morning” discussing this edition of Rhode Map. You can watch the segment here.
This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you’d like to receive it via email Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.
Dan McGowan can be reached at dan.mcgowan@globe.com. Follow him @danmcgowan.