Renee Ignacio for School Committee- Ward 3

10/07/2026

I'm letting everyone know that I will not be able to attend the Meet & Greet tomorrow night at the Legion for personal reasons.

Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or want to discuss anything. I am always happy to talk to parents, taxpayers, and even students.

You can also find anything I have posted about here

https://dot.cards/rignacio

Again, sorry I can not make it.

EP School Ward 3 Candidate

10/04/2026

I'm running for East Providence School Committee because my job over the past 17 years transporting students to and from school has shown me what our kids go through not only in our school system but also outside of school. I care about our children, our schools, and the community we share. I believe families deserve to be heard, our teachers and staff deserve support, and taxpayers deserve clear answers about how school dollars are spent. I am not an educator or a politician; I am a member of our community who wants to put our kids first, give them the education they deserve, and ensure our school department and school committee are always transparent and held accountable on every issue that arises.

I will never be that rubber-stamp person we are all used to seeing. All that has done is put our school department in a huge deficit that will take time to fix. I will do my due diligence, with hard work and dedication, to find a way to make cuts without hurting our students. For the past two months, I have reviewed our budget and looked for ways to make the needed cuts.

My priorities are straightforward:
• Student safety and well-being. I will advocate for clear bullying prevention, mental health support, and a reliable response when a child needs help. I have drafted a stronger, tougher school bullying policy that would hold everyone accountable. I want to implement a bullying program for our students. I also have other ideas for student safety and well-being, cause this is what being a committee member is about: caring for our students; they come first.

• Accountability in spending. I will ask questions, review budgets and contracts, and work to ensure our resources support students and classrooms. I would request monthly finance updates with a list of bills. During committee meetings, I want to review all bills so they are public knowledge, because I feel the taxpayers should know what is being spent. This is all part of the transparency I want to bring to our school department

• Support for every learner. I will advocate for students to receive the services they need, including the supports promised in their IEPs. I want to ensure every IEP and 504 is followed. I will request updates with the teacher or special needs department head using an IEP Compliance and verification system. This will follow the student from day 1.

• Respect for educators and staff. I will listen to the people working with our children and consider their needs when making decisions. I want our staff to feel free to voice their questions, concerns, and ideas without fear of repercussions. That's how a school department should be run. When you hire people to do a job, we expect them to have the tools to do it; if they don't, we would expect them to discuss the issues.

• Open communication. I will push for understandable information, transparent decisions, and meaningful opportunities for families and residents to participate. We need more interaction from our parents. I hear from parents all the time about the problems they are having, and I always do my best to find a way to help. I want to change the rule that seems to be in place: if a parent comes and speaks with us or asks a question, we WILL answer it if we have the information, or tell them we will email it to them and actually follow through. Not the old "we will look into it," where nothing ever gets done. That will not happen anymore.
I won’t promise that every problem has an easy solution. I will promise to do my homework, ask thoughtful questions, listen respectfully, and follow through. When concerns are raised, I will work to make sure they receive attention and a clear response. Over the past few years, as I have attended meetings and researched what matters to us, I feel I have done my best to share all the information and present it to you with full honesty and transparency. I hope that you will let me continue to do so.
Your vote is a vote for someone who will show up, speak up, and keep students at the center of every decision.
I would be honored to earn your trust and your vote for the East Providence School Committee.
Thank you,
Renee Ignacio

09/28/2026

I'm just putting this question out there. Last week, I posted a question asking for everyone's thoughts on our school policies. I received great responses both on the post and in private messages; you all shared great ideas and a different perspective. So I decided to ask another question.
This time, I am asking all parents, caregivers, and bus drivers and monitors for our students here in EP a question. I feel this is important for our Bus/Van drivers.

As a candidate for School Committee, I want to know how we can improve things on our buses, follow up on incidents, and make your routes easier and more efficient. What do you feel the School committee/school department isn't doing enough of, and what is slipping through the cracks? For all our drivers and monitors, how could I, as a school committee, help you make your job easier? I feel you need more backup with what goes on inside our buses.

I want to hear from you if you feel the school department has failed to hold anyone accountable for bus issues by not following the policy in place. What would you like to see changed? What could we do better to improve the ride to and from school? I want the school community involved; I want to hear from drivers/monitors. I fully support you all. As someone who has been in the busing world for 17+ years, I know your struggles, and you are just as important as everyone else who works for our School Department.
Everyone has gone long enough without their voices being heard.

This is about you and your children; this is also about the safety of our students on the bus. So let's hear your ideas, suggestions and your points of view. Please keep this cordial, and let's have an open,n honest discussion. Also, please feel free to message me if you don't want to comment here. I respect that decision.
Thank you again

09/23/2026

I am asking all parents, caregivers, and teachers of our students here in EP and all other taxpayers that may not have kids in our school system a question.
As a candidate for School Committee, I find that this incoming SC has a lot of work ahead of them. The budget alone will be a big task. I've attended meetings and reviewed the budget, and compared it since it was released. We can only tackle that as a team.
However, I want to focus on something I feel is extremely important: our school department policies. I want to find a way to give more of our parents, caregivers, and teachers a voice in our policies, so I would like to know which ones you find most important.
I want to hear from you if you feel the school department has failed to hold anyone accountable for the school policies that we have in place. What would you like to see in our policies? What could we do better with our policies? I really want the school community involved; everyone has gone long enough without your voices being heard. This is about you and your children. So let's hear your ideas, suggestions and your points of view. I ask that we keep this cordial, and let's have an open, honest discussion.

09/15/2026

Seriously what a life.. the arent spoiled.

09/15/2026

Here is the list of budget reductions options:
# # # Budget Reduction Options at a Glance

- Dr. Perry introduced a new document titled **“Budget Reduction Options at a Glance.”**
- He stressed that it was **not a formal reduction plan**, but a planning document using illustrative estimates only.
- He was careful to state that it contained **no employee names, no individual salary figures, no student data, and no bargaining-unit identifiers**.
- He framed the document as a starting point for future planning and transparency.

- The six reduction categories discussed were:

Operational and non-personnel cuts**
energy management
Medicaid reimbursement maximization
cooperative purchasing
state contracts
e-rate optimization
overtime and substitute controls
copier and printing consolidation
facility-use fees
attrition-only hiring freeze on non-classroom positions
health insurance plan design changes

**Certified staff reductions**
possible elimination or reduction of **5 to 20 teaching positions**
estimated savings of **$750,000 to $3 million**
acknowledged as high-severity for students because of impacts on class sizes and course availability

**Closing schools and redistricting**
discussed as a traditional budget tool used by school systems
acknowledged as having significant operational and community impacts
mentioned as a long-term rather than immediate budget fix

0% first-year wage increases / no wage increases**
estimated savings of **$500,000 to $2 million**
described as harmful to morale, retention, and recruitment

Early retirement incentives**
could yield **$475,000 to $1 million** in savings
noted to require legal review, including **ADA** and **OWBPA** compliance concerns

Expanded walk distance / transportation changes**
estimated savings of $250,000 to $500,000**
described as high impact on low-income students and access to school activities

- After discussion, the committee voted on the FY 2027 budget.
- The vote approved the budget at **4 to 1.

- -The approved budgetunderstood to be the **$106,866,061** proposal that would be forwarded to the city process.

09/15/2026

Here are a few takeaways from last nights budget meeting. I find it very disturbing that people that are in office have never shown up for 1 school committee budget meeting.
So here is what was talked about last night:

- The main agenda item was the **FY 2027 budget workshop**, which centered on a proposed budget of **$106,866,061** and a related projected expenditure level of about **$110.7 million**, with an estimated **$3.8 million deficit**.

- Dr. Perry described ongoing fiscal pressures, including:
- negotiations with **2 unions**,
- rising **energy costs**,
- rising **transportation costs**,
- **special education outplacements**,
- and the need to improve the district’s accounting and auditing practices.

- Mark Spinelli clarified that the final budget to be approved was **$106,866,061**.
- The higher figure, approximately **$110.7 million**, represented the district’s **total expected expenditures** for FY 2027.
- The **$3.8 million projected deficit** was repeatedly referenced as the gap between expected expenditures and projected revenue.

- Committee members asked whether the $106.8 million budget included the deficit, and the explanation given was that the budget presented to the city would be the **maximum amount allowed under the 4% cap**.
- The $110 million figure was explained as the district’s best estimate of what it would actually cost to operate the schools next year without reductions

There are lots of other things that were discussed about this budget. I just posed some of the big things. I will have another post regarding Budget reduction options that were discussed.

09/09/2026

I decided to make this line item as its own post. This has been a big topic, outside the budget & the deficit. This is what was talked about with the cellphone policy.

Personal Electronic Devices and Cell Phone Policy:

• The committee considered a personal electronic devices and cell phone policy and initially moved to approve it.
• Shortly afterward, the item was tabled so the policy committee could reconvene and create a different policy.
• Specific people were invited to join the policy committee to help draft the revised version.
• The concern was that the proposed policy language could be too broad or create unintended restrictions.
• The committee approved the personal electronic devices/cell phone policy, then later tabled related policy work for revision.The committee approved the personal electronic devices/cell phone policy, then later tabled related policy work for revision.

09/09/2026

Regular school committee meeting 9/8/26
PART #2

Policy Committee: Staff Hiring Policy and Contract Controls:

• The committee discussed a staff hiring policy and revisions intended to add a fiscal protection clause.
• The intent of the policy is to ensure that non-union contracts are subject to school committee approval and include fiscal safeguards.
• Members debated whether this could slow emergency hiring, such as if a school leader leaves only weeks before the school year begins.
• Supporters argued the policy improves transparency and oversight, particularly after recent financial problems and concerns about contract decisions being made without committee input.
• The committee noted that this kind of oversight had existed previously and was removed in 2020 when state-level changes occurred.
• The committee approved the staff hiring policy.
• The committee also approved a related practice requiring contract language that allows termination or adjustment for fiscal reasons, such as enrollment decline, budget reductions, or loss of funding.

Read-Only Financial Access for Committee Members:

• The committee considered granting all school committee members read-only access to the district’s financial management system.
• Supporters argued this would improve transparency and allow members to see financial data directly, rather than relying solely on reports.
• Opponents raised concerns about security risks, device access, privacy, and potential micromanagement.
• The committee discussed authentication and the possibility that software vendor licensing costs might apply.
• The item was tabled so the superintendent could address security concerns and consult with counsel.

Advanced Distribution of Meeting Materials:

• The committee approved a measure to ensure school committee members receive meeting minutes, materials, and digital hard copies at least 48 hours before meetings.
• Members argued this would allow them to review materials earlier and better vet agenda items before votes.
• There was specific concern about receiving large or important financial packages late and being asked to approve them too quickly.

School Psychology Contract:

• The committee considered and approved a contract for professional school psychology services.
• Administration explained that the district had budgeted for the position, but the full-time employee was no longer available, requiring a contract-based replacement.
• The arrangement was described as a shift from a salary line to a contract line, with no expected budget impact if handled correctly.
• The contract psychologist would serve two elementary schools.

Additional Reports and Presentations:

East Providence Local Advisory Committee (EBLAC)

• A representative from the East Providence Local Advisory Committee introduced the group and said monthly meetings will begin going forward.
• EBLAC has already met with Dr. Perry and expressed appreciation for his support.
• Their first meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 29 at 6:00 PM in the Kent Heights Library.
• The group encouraged participation and said children are welcome.

Building Committee and New Projects:

• Updates included discussion of a new basketball court behind the school-owned/city-owned soccer field area at Park Middle School.
• A possible playground-related project at another city property was also discussed, with a request to notify neighbors and address drainage or water-table concerns if the work proceeds.
• The committee noted that some of these projects are city-led, though school department involvement or funding may be part of the process.

Decisions and Votes:

• The committee approved the consent agenda.
• The committee approved the personal electronic devices/cell phone policy, then later tabled related policy work for revision.The committee approved the personal electronic devices/cell phone policy, then later tabled related policy work for revision.
• The committee approved the staff hiring policy.
• The committee approved the agreement for professional school psychology services.
• The committee approved the item requiring advance distribution of materials at least 48 hours before meetings.
• The committee tabled the item on read-only financial system access pending further review of security concerns.

Action Items:

• Administration to provide the committee with an updated and more detailed FY27 budget framework and continue explaining deficit assumptions.
• Administration to share a project packet and timeline for capital improvement funds and approved RIDE projects.
• Superintendent/administration to follow up on energy outsourcing options and other cost-saving measures.
• Policy committee to reconvene and draft a revised cell phone/personal electronic device policy.
• Administration to address security concerns before revisiting read-only financial access.
• Administration to share financial reporting access/budget files and potentially move toward a more transparent reporting platform such as OpenGov.
• Committee and administration to continue work on a long-term deficit reduction framework.
• Follow up expected on contract penalties for delayed projects once attorney review is completed.
• Facilities leadership to continue reviewing lighting, irrigation, and maintenance staffing efficiencies.
• Chair to consider inviting city council and the mayor to a future budget workshop.

Follow-Up and Future Meetings:

• Committee members noted they likely would not be able to meet again before the next Tuesday city council meeting.
• The chair suggested this would likely be the final budget workshop and that another workshop could be scheduled if needed.
• The district plans to continue monthly budget monitoring and future discussions on the deficit, fiscal strategy, and possible legislative advocacy.
• The EBLAC monthly meeting begins September 29, 2026, at 6 PM.

09/09/2026

School committee regular meeting Summary 9/8/26
PART #1

Building Committee, Facilities, and School Opening Update:

• A full report was given on the opening of the 2026–2027 school year.
• The district reported a successful opening with:
◦ two days of staff preparation,
◦ districtwide professional development,
◦ a convocation with major guests including the governor, secretary of state, and senate president,
◦ strong communication with families through ParentSquare,
◦ schools ready on day one.
• The instructional focus for the year is MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) .
• Transportation was noted as mostly successful despite road paving on Pawtucket Avenue, though routing adjustments are still expected.
• Enrollment remains active, and some schools are at or near capacity, which may require future review of staffing and programming.

Facilities Report and Building Improvements:

• The facilities report covered work at multiple schools, including:
◦ East Providence High School: stage painting and track expansion joint work.
◦ Wellington: kitchen hallway and gym flooring, plus window shades.
◦ Riverside Middle School: exterior railing painting and sidewalk recaulk.
◦ Silver Spring: cabinet refinishing and new sinks/countertops.
◦ Francis: new sidewalks completed under RIDE funding.
◦ Orville: new concrete sidewalks completed.
◦ Park Middle School: new parking lot completed and open; interior sheetrock work, window testing, MEP work, grading, and discussion of a potential new basketball court behind city-owned/school-owned property.
◦ Blanchet: new window treatments and 11-month walkthrough completed.
• The committee reviewed photos of completed work and praised custodial and maintenance staff.
• It was later clarified that Mark Russell does not have a sprinkler system, and there are no maintenance substitutes—only custodial substitutes.

Lighting, Irrigation, and Operational Efficiency Concerns:

• A lengthy discussion occurred about whether buildings and outdoor areas are left illuminated unnecessarily.
• One committee member argued that lights around schools, cafeterias, parking lots, and fields should be turned off whenever possible, especially during breaks and weekends.
• Facilities leadership responded that many lights are on timers, motion sensors, or time clocks, and that some lighting is kept on for security reasons at the request of police or safety teams.
• It was stated that some buildings, such as the high school, are lit due to concerns about damage, family safety, and community presence.
• The committee also discussed irrigation at Martin and related buildings, with administration clarifying that there is no irrigation system at Mark Russell and that any sprinklers being used are temporary and set up by Yardworks.
• Concerns about staffing, especially custodial and maintenance vacancies, were also raised.

Project Delays and Contract Penalties:

• The committee discussed delayed completion of major projects and the potential for contract penalties.
• The reported penalty was $`1,500 per day per contract starting from a substantial completion date of May 5.
• Specific examples included:
◦ Orville: completed August 14, about 74 days late, resulting in about `$111,000 in penalties.
◦ Byron Francis: completed August 22, about 79 days late, resulting in about $`118,500 in penalties.
• The total possible impact of current contract penalties was stated as `$229,500.
• A reimbursement figure of $237,196.02 was also discussed in the context of the total allotted amount and the reimbursement arrangement.
• The administration said the paperwork had been sent to Andrew for review and that the committee would be updated once he responds.

Capital Improvements and Borrowing Questions:

• A committee member requested a clearer breakdown of the capital improvements budget, including what was spent and what remains available.
• There was concern about a prior $5 million borrowing arrangement and a request to know who authorized the borrowing and how it occurred.
• Administration said that stage 2 projects are tied to capital improvement funds and reimbursement rules, including 50% reimbursement-related processes.
• A packet and description of approved projects, timelines, and remaining available funds were promised for follow-up sharing.