Raimondo Criticizes Warwick For All-Distance Learning Return

WARWICK, RI — Gov. Gina Raimondo said she "could not be more disappointed" in the Warwick School Committee's decision to take an all-distance learning approach to the return to school in September.

"[The committee] threw in the towel before they even tried," Raimondo said, adding that the district did not submit a plan for mostly in-person instruction. "Do your job and do better."

During Raimondo's weekly news conference, she blasted the school committee, saying Tuesday evening's vote was not the best choice for the students.

The committee voted 4-1 to take an all-distance learning approach, citing issues with air exchange and the number of classrooms without windows to allow for it, as well as budgetary constraints and difficulties with finding additional staff.

"I can't wholeheartedly go in a direction that could potentially hurt students or other members of the community," committee member Kyle Adams said during the meeting. "We're here to give a proper education for kids, but we're also supposed to give them a safe environment."

Warwick submitted a hybrid model plan for reopening schools in which half of the students would attend classes on Wednesdays and Fridays, and the other half would attend on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well as a fully distanced option.

"We need to do better," Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green said. "We should be doing the work up until the day we go back to school."

Watch the full meeting below.