The Fate of Carl G. Lauro Elementary School
The West End’s shuttered Carl G. Lauro Elementary School will remain vacant for now, as public opposition has prevented a local charter school from securing a lease for the building. On July 24, City Councilors voted 8-4 against the rental agreement that would have given Excel Academy a 35-year lease over the property.
This decision marks the second attempt by Mayor Brett Smiley to convert the space for charter school use in two years. The final lease, negotiated between Smiley’s office, members of the City Council, and Excel Academy, proposed that the charter school would spend at least $14.3 million on restoration and improvements to the aging building.
Despite the financial burden of maintaining the empty school, which costs Providence close to $300,000 annually, some councilors, School Board members, and community leaders were concerned about the lease terms and equity issues surrounding charter school expansion.
Concerns Over Charter School Expansion
Ward 14 Councilwoman Shelley Peterson voiced concerns about the long-term implications of the lease. “With extensions, this agreement could tie up a valuable public asset for 65 years. That’s not a temporary arrangement. It’s a generational obligation,” she said. “Yet the agreement grants the city limited rights to terminate or regain control if priorities shift.”
Providence City Hall was filled with hundreds of parents, teachers, and students during the meeting. One faction wore blue as members or allies of the Providence Teachers Union who opposed leasing to a “big-box charter school.” Charter schools operate independently from city-run public schools and set their own curricula and policies, but they are subject to state oversight. Families can apply if they meet residency requirements, and enrollment is decided through a random lottery.
Charter schools receive local and state funding like traditional public schools, but they often seek additional funding through grants, loans, or donations. The rise in popularity of charter schools in Rhode Island has raised concerns about drawing students away from traditional public schools, leaving those behind with less funding and fewer resources.
Charter Schools and Public Funding
Ward 12 Councilwoman Althea Graves drew parallels to past struggles, saying, “This reminds me of the '50s and '60s when Blacks started moving ‘too far in’ and getting into certain schools. Everybody [else] left and let the schools go down. You know what that left? A bunch of poor Black folks.”
Graves pointed out that many families wanting to enroll their kids in charter schools don’t get spots due to limited availability. According to Smiley, there are currently 18,000 students seeking available charter school spots in Providence.
Charter schools are only allowed to expand student enrollment with approval from the Rhode Island Department of Education on a yearly basis. Excel Academy’s proposed lease for Carl G. Lauro Elementary School did not include guarantees to provide the school with additional student enrollment.
Financial Implications for Traditional Schools
Providence School Board President Ty’Relle Stephens echoed Graves' concerns, noting that groups like the NAACP do not support the expansion of charter schools because they serve a limited population. “What happens when all the charter schools are filled? What happens when we have not put in enough money into our public schools?” asked Graves.
Under Rhode Island’s school funding formula, the state decides how much money to send each school district based on the number of students enrolled. Providence School Board Member Corey Jones estimated that over the next five years, if 2,186 students leave Providence Public Schools for charter schools, as projected, the state could slash up to $51 million for the traditional public schools.
State Rep. David Morales explained that even when school enrollment drops, fixed expenses such as transportation, building maintenance, and special education staffing remain. None of these expenses disappear.
Rent Structure and Future Plans
The lease’s rent structure also raised concerns for Peterson. Smiley’s original plan would have had Excel Academy pay just $1 per year in rent. Under renegotiations, that figure went up to $7.50 per square foot of the 140,000-square-foot building, equaling about $1 million annually.
However, Peterson noted that because the charter company would have been allowed to offset much of the rent through building improvements, Providence may not have seen any revenue until 2047. Additionally, the city wouldn’t have had any say over the improvements Excel Academy made to the property.
The charter school would have been under contract to share the building with Providence Public Schools until 2030, but beyond then, the city would have had to enter a sublease agreement to continue using some of the property. “That means a public school serving our city students would need permission from a private tenant to operate in a public building, and then pay them to do so,” said Peterson. “That’s a fundamental shift in how we govern our public education and our public assets.”
Alternative Plans for the Building
Council President Rachel Miller had previously suggested converting the empty school into housing, but an analysis by outside contractors concluded that while technically possible, it would come with an exceptionally high price tag and a very lengthy timeline. Before the vote, School Board President Stephens recommended repurposing the building to meet the district’s most pressing needs, including creating a swing space for schools in transition, more career and technical education programs, and a facility for adult learners.
Disappointment and Continued Debate
The mayor’s office was surprised by Miller’s announcement that she opposed the lease agreement just one day before the vote. “I realize that this lease negotiation has taken on a larger role and has come into the larger debate around charter schools and traditional public schools. But that’s not what we’re actually trying to advance here,” said Smiley.
At the City Council meeting, a majority of attendees wore yellow T-shirts from Stop the Wait RI, a group advocating for family choice in school selection. Some parents support the campaign because they are tired of waiting for the state to approve new charter schools and growth at existing ones.
Despite extensive reform efforts to address underfunding and low levels of student learning, many parents have ruled out sending their kids to the city’s traditional public schools after having better experiences at charter schools.
Kpannah Cooper-Jackson’s son used to attend Esek Hopkins Middle School, where the school was understaffed, and she was worried about frequent student fights, lockdowns, and police presence. She decided to enroll her son at Excel Academy, where they’ve had a much more positive experience. However, the school only teaches until eighth grade, and she’s worried about what comes next.
“This isn’t going to stop this school’s [Excel Academy] growth,” said Smiley. “But what it is going to do is financially harm the city, financially harm the school department and potentially harm the neighborhood with a vacant, blighted or underutilized building."