Committee approves FY26-27 curriculum purchases; staff say spending is below recent peaks

The Providence School Board Finance Committee approved the district's proposed FY26-27 curriculum purchases after a presentation from Mikayla Keegan, the district's executive director of curriculum and instruction.

Keegan walked committee members through a memo and spreadsheet showing the recommended purchases, year-over-year comparisons and a three-year spending history. She said the district worked with school leaders and vendors to limit purchases to necessary materials and that the current plan is roughly $60,000 below what the district projected to spend last year and over $7 million below fiscal year 2023-24 levels.

Committee members asked about contracting origins for vendor line items listed as "MPA," "RFP," "ACS" and "TIPS." Staff invited a procurement colleague (Tom, S7) to explain that the district uses multiple contracting vehicles—including competitive RFPs and approved national purchasing cooperatives—and that the procurement process attempts to secure the best prices.

Members also asked how the end of ESSER funding affected curriculum spending. Keegan and other staff said ESSER supported a one-time upgrade to core curricula in earlier years (ELA and math), raising that year's spending; the district is now implementing those adoptions and managing purchases more conservatively.

The committee moved and approved the curriculum purchases as presented. The appropriation and classification ordinances for FY27 will reflect the approved vendor and spending lines.