Providence, Rhode Island: Superintendent Javier Montanez Resigns After Return to Local Control

Providence Public Schools Superintendent Javier Montanez announced on Friday, October 30, that he is resigning from the top job in Rhode Island's largest school district. The district said his final day is still being negotiated, and the Providence Journal reported that talks are also under way on a settlement agreement. No date for his departure has been set in public.

Montanez spent more than 30 years inside the system he led. He attended Providence schools as a student, then worked as a bilingual teacher, an assistant principal and a principal before he became superintendent in June 2021. He took the job during the state takeover of the district, and he led it through the return to local control in July 2026, after nearly seven years of state oversight.

A letter to families

In a letter to families and staff, Montanez said serving as superintendent had been a great honor. He pointed to the work he said left the district stronger than the one he inherited. His list included a 1 billion dollar school construction plan that aims to put every student in a new or like new building by 2030, an expanded pre kindergarten program, wider vocational training for high school students, and a sharp drop in chronic absenteeism.

School Board President Ty'Relle Stephens thanked Montanez for more than three decades of service. Stephens said the transition brings questions and uncertainty, and he said the board remains committed to Providence students and to a smooth change of leadership.

A hard first term under local control

The resignation follows a rough start to the school year. Two deputy superintendents and the city's chief of staff have left in recent months, and three of the district's most senior leaders have resigned, according to the Journal. Board meetings have drawn dozens of parents and students complaining about understaffing and poor communication. School buildings have also gone days without heat this week, the Journal reported, and the board itself has argued in public over its own leadership and rules.

Providence Teachers Union President Lindsay Paiva told NBC 10 she had expected a leadership change after the other senior departures. Paiva said board members have invited her to join a committee that will help select an interim superintendent.

State Representative David Morales, the Democratic nominee for mayor, told NBC 10 he wants the community kept informed through November and December about the choice of an acting superintendent, and he wants whoever takes the job to answer to the community.

What happens next

The School Board expects to post the interim superintendent job early next week, first for qualified internal candidates. After interviews, the board may open the search to outside candidates. The board has not announced a timeline for naming an interim leader, and classes continue on their normal schedule while the search runs.