Superintendent's Update
Newport Public Schools | April 29, 2026
Dear Newport Schools Parents, Families, and Staff:
Welcome back! I hope everyone had a great spring recess and got some time to recharge for the final push to the end of the 2025-2026 school year.
Speaking of the end of the school year, we still are not certain of the final date. Due to several major snow events this winter, the Commissioner of Education agreed to shorten the school year by two days which would bring us to June 30th. Newport Public Schools have formally requested a waiver to reduce the school year by another two days. If accepted by the Department of Education, that would mean our closing day would be June 26th. We will be sure to let you know once the final day of the school year is finalized.
The weather is getting nicer, the days are getting longer, and thoughts are naturally wandering to the last day of school, graduation for our seniors, and the summer. While that’s understandable, we need all of our families and students focused on Attendance Matters, Every Day for the last 9 weeks of school. We are already seeing a slight drop in attendance and want to turn that around immediately. Let’s close out this school year with great attendance! Now is the time for students to demonstrate the learning they’ve taken in and show mastery through final exams and portfolio projects. Not to mention, all of our schools have fun end-of-year events and field trips. So families, please continue to emphasize the importance of attending school every day!
A brief note about the 2026-2027 school year. The Rhode Island General Assembly recently passed legislation moving the date of the primary election to Wednesday, September 9th. The primary date was moved due to concerns that an election day falling the day after the Labor Day holiday would not give enough time to set up polls. Because of this date change, we are reworking our 2026-2027 school year calendar. This should not impact the first day of school which is before Labor Day this year. It will impact the Tuesday after Labor Day to be a school day instead of the Primary Day. We will let you know when we have finalized the calendar for next school year. Another update as part of the new RI legislation is that all school committees are now required to establish a student safety and behavioral health committee. The new Title 16 requirement is HERE and see our resource section for important items such as the importance of gun safety storage.
Another important update to share is that the Newport School Committee has voted to keep Grade 5 at Thompson Middle School for at least one more year. Thank you to everyone who provided feedback about the pros and cons of possibly moving Grade 5 to Pell.
The School Committee also recently voted to adopt a revised dress code policy for Newport Public Schools students. The revised dress code policy prohibits hats, and other clothing that obscures the face or ears, with exemptions for religious reasons. You can review the revised dress code here.
I also want to provide an update on our school budget. As I have shared, we are facing a very challenging budget situation this year. This is due to structural issues with how public schools are funded in Rhode Island as well as inflation, which everyone is experiencing. We have had very productive conversations with the Newport City Council and the Newport School Committee, but we are still looking at a deficit of approximately $2 million. We are doing everything we can to reduce this budget deficit without cutting staffing, but a restructuring will likely be required for the 2026-27 school year. Please attend the next Newport School Committee Workshop meeting on Tuesday, May 5th at 5:30pm at Pell, where the Committee will discuss options to close the shortfall for the next school year. Our next full School Committee meeting with recommendations and layoffs to consider will be on Tuesday, May 12th at 6:30pm at Pell Elementary School.
Finally, this Friday, May 1st is National School Principals Day. A big thank you to our amazing principals - Traci Westman at Pell, Dr. Michael Browner, Jr. at Thompson, and interim Principal Michael Monahan at Rogers. Thank you for everything that you do for our students, families, teachers, and schools! Until you are in the job- does one fully understand the enormity of it. We appreciate you and you being there for our students, staff, and families.
As an FYI- If anyone is looking to do anything with their family this weekend, the Aquidneck Island National Police Parade is Sunday, May 3rd at 11:50am, starting at 317 West Main Rd, traveling south on Broadway and ending in Washington Square. There are over 85 different entities attending!
Hope to see some of you there!
Have a great week of learning everyone!
Colleen Burns Jermain, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Bike Newport’s annual Bike To School Day is next Wednesday, May 6th! Hop on a bike and ride to school with our One Newport community partner Bike Newport!
The Rogers High School PTO will host an amateur cornhole tournament at 1 p.m. this Saturday, May 2nd at the Elks Lodge on Bellevue Avenue. Please join the PTO for a fun afternoon with Rogers parents, staff and friends. Only 16 teams are available – spectators are welcome and encouraged! Proceeds will benefit field trips, scholarships for graduating seniors, teacher appreciation events and more. See the attached flyer for details and registration.
As part of the State’s Math Matters RI initiative, the RI STEAM Expo will be a vibrant, hands-on celebration that brings together families, students, educators, higher education, and industry partners to engage in STEAM learning. The event will feature a day of exploration, problem-solving, and creativity. The vision is to make STEAM “come alive” for students of all ages and highlight the deep connections between PK–12 schools, higher education, and local industries.
Providence Career & Technical Academy, 41 Fricker Street, Providence RI
STEAM Expo and Family Programming: 8:30 am to 12:30 pm
The annual Charlie Holder Sr. Memorial Run is an amazing day of community fun and togetherness. Charlie Holder Sr. was a beloved Newport local with a passion for running. His family holds the race each year in his honor to carry on his legacy and support the community he loved. The race benefits the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center and the Newport County YMCA in memory of Charlie.
There are options for everyone at this event. There’s a competitive run, a walk, a virtual component, a 100-yard dash for kids, and lots more fun in store as the event grows each year. Click here to register.
Click here to purchase tickets for Newport Little League’s fundraiser on May 14th at O’Brien’s Pub.
