By Sam Wroblewski 630wpro.com

The Providence School Department is outdated and ill-equipped to handle the needs of the city’s school system, according to a recently released independent analysis.

A new report by Mass Insight Education titled Providence Public Schools: An Assessment of the Need for District Transformation to Accelerate Student Achievement, details how the structure of the school department’s central office is perceived as bloated due to a high number of clerical workers compared to professional staff.

While the central office is leaner compared to similar school districts, the report found for every professional staff member, the school department employs three clerical workers.Leading to scenarios where the majority of the staff are unable to address calls to the office, and administrators being placed under additional pressure to facilitate every day operations.

The report also says the systems and workflow of everyday operations hinder efficiency. For example, the report states the central office in unable to adequately meet the needs to schools and families. Additionally, the central office is unable to adequately develop staff.

“These findings are a call to action,” said Mayor Jorge Elorza in a statement.

“Providence Schools must have a central administration designed to support our schools and engage our community, so we can raise academic achievement across the district.”

The analysis calls for the Providence School Department to restructure its existing staff to better meet the needs of the school and parents while investing in staff development. Also, the report advocates for an investment in technology to help administrators make decisions based on data and metrics.

The analysis was ordered by the Elorza administration at the beginning of the year.