Superintendent's Update
Newport Public Schools | June 3, 2026
Dear Newport Schools Parents, Families, and Staff,
Welcome to June and the final three weeks of the 2025-2026 school year! This is such a wonderful time of year with graduation, awards nights, students showing off all they’ve learned through final exams, final projects, and final performances, with field days and field trips happening at each of our schools. I want all of our students to enjoy these final weeks of school, so let’s keep focused on Attendance Matters, Every Day right through to Friday, June 26th, the official last day of school for students.
This evening at 5:30 PM at City Hall, the Newport City Council will host a special meeting to review Newport Public Schools’ Fiscal Recovery and Structural Realignment Plan for Fiscal Years 2026, 2027 and 2028 (City Council agenda). This plan, Strategic Fiscal Recovery and Structural Realignment Plan, required by state law, outlines a number of options for our schools to close serious projected budget deficits in the current and future fiscal years. As I noted in last week’s newsletter, this plan has been developed in coordination with the Newport School Committee, the City Council, and each of our schools. The options presented are just options, and nothing has been finalized at this time. The Auditor General’s office requires a multi-year plan to avoid future budget deficits. We need to identify the challenges and then address them with both immediate and long term solutions. With declining enrollment, rising operating costs, and less dollars flowing from the state funding formula, Newport Public Schools are facing $2 million or more budget deficits in the years to come. The school department has exhausted its rainy day and educational fund of over $2 million dollars to cover expenses for the Rogers school building project. I know that we will continue to work collaboratively with the City and community to address these budget deficit challenges head on, while ensuring our students receive the great public education they deserve.
On Thursday night at 5:30 PM at NACTC, the Newport School Committee will be discussing and voting on an interim superintendent with the hope of having the selected candidate at their Regular Meeting next Tuesday to introduce to the community. The successful candidate will not be at Thursday evening’s meeting and the meeting will be taped so please tune in if you are not able to make the meeting. The Committee is hoping to hold a very brief meeting so that all of us can walk across the parking lot to the Newport Community School Adult Ed graduation at the new Rogers Theatre. That event begins at 6pm with light refreshments and then 7pm the diplomas and certifications will be handed out. It is a very exciting time for our adult learners and time to celebrate all their hard work. It takes a lot of perseverance and grit to stay focused on one’s education. We congratulate and celebrate everyone for this accomplishment.
I want to close out this week’s message with four big shoutouts:
1. Shout out to our Rogers students who traveled all the way to our sister city of Shimoda, Japan last month. What an incredible cultural exchange strengthening the relationship between our two communities!
2. Shout out to our Rogers Chorus students who brought some joy to the residents of Village House Nursing home with a performance last week.
3. Congratulations to all of our Rogers students who performed in the Rogers - Middletown Theater Company’s performance of Chicago last Friday and Saturday. What an incredible show! Go Vikings!
4. A salute and congratulations to our NACTC JROTC cadets who recently earned Honor Unit of Distinction! Of the approximately 1,740 Army JROTC programs across the country, only about 10% earn the Honor Unit with Distinction designation. This is a BIG DEAL!!! Congratulations - well done Vikings!! You are amazing.
Finally, if you’re looking for something to do this evening after the City Council meeting, check out our Thompson Middle School Band concert tonight at 6:30 PM at TMS.
Have a great week of learning everyone!
Colleen Burns Jermain, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Summer Bike Camp 2026 is now open for registration. Bike Newport has one-week sessions July 6th-August 14th, 2026.
All campers need to know how to ride a bike and will spend a fun-filled week learning about:
● Bike handling and bike safety skills, basic bike maintenance
● Trail and road riding skills
● Scheduled ‘special sessions’ with community partners
Newport Sings Summer Camp invites students entering grades 2–6 to discover their singing voices, express themselves through music, art, and movement, and collaborate together to perform for family and friends. Learn more and register here.
The Newport Gulls are looking for host families. Click here for more information: https://newportgulls.com/host_families.