PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The Providence Public School District has repeatedly been late in making its contributions to the state pension plan for teachers over the past year, spurring Rhode Island officials to mull whether to withhold state aid from the capital city, Target 12 has learned.
The pattern of late payments — a sign of cash-flow problems — has come as city, district and state officials have clashed over whether the city is contributing enough money to the state-run school district.
Target 12 obtained emails showing the issue started bubbling up as early as late last year when Employees’ Retirement System of Rhode Island chief financial officer Stacey Whitton emailed district leaders expressing concerns over their repeated failure to make timely contributions.
ERSRI manages a statewide pension plan for all teachers in Rhode Island, splitting the cost between state and municipal taxpayers. In a December email, Whitton said PPSD owed $3 million, and it wasn’t the first time they’d been late.