EXCLUSIVE: Senate Committee Investigating Central Falls Schools

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Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Stephen Beale, GoLocalProv News Editor

The Senate Government Oversight Committee has begun a preliminary investigation into management and safety issues in the Central Falls School District, a leader of that committee confirmed yesterday.

“The Senate Government Oversight Committee is looking into questions about school safety, management issues, and labor issues,” said state Sen. James Sheehan, a vice chairman of the committee and a school teacher in Warwick.

“There are no definite plans to hold hearings but at this stage I can tell you have formulated questions … to basically investigate some of the allegations that have been made,” he added.

He said those questions will be delivered to the Central Falls Board of Trustees by the end of this week. Depending on how they answer, Sheehan said the Senate committee will decide whether to proceed with a full-fledged investigation.

State Senator John Tassoni, who several weeks ago, called for the resignation of Superintendent Frances Gallo and forensic audit of district finances said he felt vindicated that his colleagues were getting involved. “I’m glad that it has been brought to the attention of my colleagues and that they may feel worthy of holding a hearing on it,” said Tassoni, D-Smithfield.

Response to GoLocalProv investigative series

The Senate probe comes on the heels of a GoLocalProv investigative series on the school district that revealed, among other things, that the superintendent was keeping several administrators on the payroll—despite being on long-term leave or having resigned; that the district had pulled the school resource officer out of its middle and high schools; and that several employees had been terminated for speaking out on the management of the district.

Tassoni said credited the GoLocalProv reports with “absolutely” helping to bring the issue to the attention of his colleagues. “Most definitely anything that brought it out to the attention of the public is good,” Tassoni said.

A spokeswoman for the Central Falls School District said local officials had not been notified of the Senate action. But she said they would cooperate with any investigation.

“We appreciate your inquiry, but haven't received any communication from the Senate Government Oversight Commission about their plans at this time. If and when they do reach out to the district, we will gladly comply with their request,” spokeswoman Yaviri Grosso told GoLocalProv.

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