WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court blocked the implementation of the Biden administration's student debt relief plan, which would have lowered monthly payments for millions of borrowers. In a ruling Thursday, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals granted a motion for an administrative stay filed by a group of Republican-led states seeking to invalidate the administration's entire student loan forgiveness program. The court's order prohibits the administration from implementing the parts of the SAVE plan that were not already blocked by lower court rulings. The ruling comes the same day that ..read more

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — A consultant's assessment of where things stand five years into the state takeover of Providence Public Schools may be ready within weeks. In May, Massachusetts-based consulting firm SchoolWorks began the review of the school district, which has been under state control since 2019. R.I. Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green told Target 12 on Thursday she hadn’t received the report yet and doesn't know what will be in it. "We’re eager to see what the report has to say," Infante-Green said. "What we want to make sure is that they give us some blueprint ..read more

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Providence public school days are getting 30 minutes shorter again, as a teachers union contract and COVID-19 relief funds are both poised to expire. As part of a one-year agreement reached last year between the district and the Providence Teachers Union, student learning time was extended by 30 minutes and professional development time for educators expanded 90 minutes. The federal relief funds the district used to pay for the extra time is expiring in September and so far they've decided not to find the money elsewhere to continue paying. Meanwhile, the union agreem ..read more

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — It's officially Summer Learning Week in Providence. Mayor Brett Smiley signed a proclamation on Tuesday, emphasizing the importance of safe learning spaces while school is out for the summer. This year, the focus is on closing opportunity gaps and setting students up for a successful future. Learn more in the video above. ALSO READ: Free meals available for RI kids this summer Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup SIGN UP NOW ..read more

NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) — The North Kingstown School Department is investigating how a child was unintentionally left unattended on a bus Tuesday morning. In a letter sent to parents Tuesday, North Kingstown Superintendent Kenneth Duva explained that the child was being brought to the district's extended school year program. Duva said the child was found safe by a district employee in the bus yard on Fairway Drive. He described the ordeal as "deeply concerning" and assured parents that those responsible for the child at the time have been placed on administrative leave. "The safety and we ..read more

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) — A 21-member R.I. Senate committee will be looking into potentially establishing a medical school at the University of Rhode Island (URI). The committee was established largely due to a shortage of primary care clinicians in the state that's only expected to get worse. The Senate passed a resolution in June that created a commission to study the state's health care workforce and see whether it would be possible to establish a medical school at URI. RELATED: RI lawmakers hope to tackle ongoing primary care physician shortage “Rhode Island is headed for a crisis in ..read more

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Edmarie Quinones was a teacher in Puerto Rico where she taught in a Spanish-speaking classroom, but she's frustrated that she can't transfer that certification to Rhode Island. "I honestly would have preferred that they take into consideration my certification and my years of work as a teacher in Puerto Rico, which is 20 years," she said through a translator. She said she wants to teach Spanish in a Spanish-speaking classroom in Rhode Island, but that would first require taking a certification test in English to teach English. "That’s a little weird because now I’m ab ..read more

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) — A unique local summer camp gets high schoolers out on the water, spending time catching sharks and other forms of sea life — and it's free. The University of Rhode Island's (URI) fifth annual shark camp kicks off the week of July 22 and aims to introduce students from underserved communities to URI's marine sciences program. “Kids from underserved communities don’t have the same experiences and opportunities growing up that kids from wealthier communities do," program developer and URI professor Brad Wetherbee said in a press release. "That’s the whole premise be ..read more

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Every public high school in Rhode Island is eligible to apply for a grant aimed at helping more students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) is offering the FAFSA Support Ambassador grant though the Educational Credit Management Corporation. MORE: Colleges and universities push back FAFSA deadlines The $2,500 grants will allow schools to train a member of their staff on providing FAFSA ID set up and Alternative Aid support. The grants are particularly aimed at helping multilingual and economica ..read more

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced Monday that it entered into an agreement with Brown University to make sure the school is in compliance with federal law barring discrimination and harassment against students of Jewish, Palestinian, Arab and Muslim ancestry. A complaint was filed against the university in December, according to the department. Brown officials said the school voluntarily agreed “to clarify and enhance existing policies and procedures related to the resolution of discrimination and harassment complaints, including those related to antisemitism ..read more