Pawtucket Mayor Grebien issues statement on schools

Statement from Mayor Donald R. Grebien regarding the Pawtucket School Committee’s decision to reopen schools for in-person learning.

“As mayor of the City of Pawtucket, I want to thank the Pawtucket School Committee for doing what’s best for our students. I am proud to know that the members of the School Committee listened to the concerns of all stakeholders in this process and did their due diligence to get the students back in the classroom. Our committee has prioritized safety and consistency throughout these challenging times, and I am thankful for all the hard work they, the administrators, and teachers have put in to develop a plan for a safe return to school. Our students deserve this opportunity to safely learn in an environment designed for it.

I also want to thank the Rhode Island Department of Education, the Rhode Island National Guard, the Rhode Island Department of Health, the offices of Governor Gina Raimondo and Lt. Governor Dan McKee, and their contractors (including Pawtucket-based Arden Engineering) for their help and support to get us to the point as a community where students and teachers can safely return to school. This has been a team effort and I greatly appreciate the collaboration and cooperation.

In addition to their vote on reopening, the School Committee also voted to help the City and our taxpayers with the COVID-related budget deficit. I want to personally thank them for their commitment to working in partnership on behalf of all Pawtucket taxpayers.”