EDITORIAL: Another Embarrassing Loss for Rhode Islanders

Thursday, February 08, 2024

EDITORIAL

 

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Money down the drain? In RI, taxpayers don't get to know. PHOTO: File

In the spring of 2023, the Providence School Department awarded a contract worth in excess of $70 million a year for the school maintenance contract.

It is a cost paid for by taxpayers across the state.

The contract is not chump change — it can be extended for up to five years at a total value of more than $350 million.

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The Providence Schools, which is now run by the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) and Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green, may have put their thumb on the proverbial scale in the bidding process. 

By all accounts, that “winning” bidder — ABM — was given an opportunity to bid a third time. The other two bidders? Just twice.

GoLocal reported about dozens of violations of workers by ABM. In 2022, it was reported that ABM paid a $140 million settlement for worker violations in California.

There are other questions about the bidding process.

Providence Schools mysteriously hired an outside consultant to manage the process -- unbeknownst to school officials, he is a convicted felon.

It really is hard to make this up.

But what any of the companies bid is unknown. It is being hidden.

In August, GoLocal requested copies of the bids from the Providence Public School Department and received copies with ALL the financial information blacked out — every page relating to the finances of the bids was hidden from GoLocal and, thus, the public.

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The financial information from the bid of the winning company ABM. The information is redacted by Providence Schools and upheld by Judge Smith

Multiple officials have called the awarding of the contract questionable, including Mayor Brett Smiley, School Board Chair Erlin Rogel, and two members of the school board filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s office. 

(Crickets from the AG’s office.)

In October, GoLocal and the Rhode Island ACLU filed suit in Superior Court, seeking the court to intervene and require Providence Schools to unveil the bid information.

Now, after three months in the courts, newly appointed Superior Court Judge Christopher Smith gave secrecy a big win.

He gave GoLocal and the ACLU a pat on the head but continued to block the public to see the bids.

On Wednesday, Judge Smith claimed the lawyers for the Providence Schools overstepped and redacted too much, but then, he left nearly all of the redactions in place.

Thus, the public will be barred from knowing what they are being sold for $350 million.

We may never know if the bidding process was fair.

An editorial is the opinion of a publication — specifically, the ownership.

While based on facts and news reporting, it is an opinion intended to discuss critical community issues. Often, the opinion is written with the intention of positive change.

GoLocal editorials have sparked conversations, change, and even the naming of a bridge.

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