The Collective Stands with Families and Urges Providence City Council to Approve Lauro School Lease
An important decision is before the Providence City Council—one that will affect access to quality public schools for hundreds of families.
The former Carl G. Lauro Elementary School, located at 99 Kenyon Street in Federal Hill, has sat vacant for two years. The City of Providence is proposing a simple plan that greatly benefits our children: lease and revitalize the deteriorating building to transform it into a high-quality learning space for hundreds of Providence students.
Under the proposed agreement, Excel Academy Rhode Island, a charter public school, will renovate and move into the former Carl G. Lauro Elementary School on Federal Hill. For the first five years of the lease, Excel and Providence Public School District (PPSD) students will share the building while a new facility is constructed for PPSD's Asa Messer Elementary School.
“The Providence City Council has an opportunity to approve a lease that will give more of our city’s children access to a great public school,” wrote Victor Capellan, the Collective’s founder & CEO, in The Boston Globe, “It’s a win for families, students, and taxpayers—and serves as an example for how district and charter schools can collaborate on behalf of children and families. In today’s education climate, that kind of collaboration shouldn’t be remarkable—but it is, and it’s worth fighting for.”
Victor Capellan, founder and CEO of Rhode Island Education Collective, testifies before the Providence City Council on June 30, 2025, in support of the 99 Kenyon Street lease.
Rhode Island Education Collective will contribute $1.25 million to make this project possible, funding critical renovations and improvements to the building's South Wing so it can welcome PPSD students this fall.
Partnering with Excel Academy creates a long-term solution for the Lauro space to be utilized again while reducing the financial burden on the city and creating new opportunities for collaboration that serve all students. Over the lease term, the total investment coming into Providence will be approximately $80 million from Excel's rent payments, capital improvements, facility costs, planned annual neighborhood beautification projects, and philanthropic support.
Without this partnership, the city remains saddled with a decaying property that continues draining resources while serving no one. The cost of inaction is steep: approximately $700,000 annually in lost tax revenue, maintenance, security, and indirect economic impact. More importantly, blocking this lease means fewer educational pathways for Providence children and a missed opportunity to turn a municipal burden into a community asset.
“We’re asking for a system that uses public resources wisely, respects all families, and gives every child a fair shot—regardless of their zip code or background,” Excel Academy parents shared in The Boston Globe.
Join us in advocating for this smart, student-centered plan:
Contact the City Council by email or phone (401-521-7477) using our template scripts.
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