Committee Hears Praise for Picard

By Cynthia Drummond for BRVCA

May 14th 2025

WOOD RIVER JCT. – Tuesday’s meeting of the Chariho School Committee took place in the middle school auditorium to accommodate a larger crowd.

The increased attendance was, for the most part, prompted by the April 8 School Committee meeting, when members voted 7 to 5 against adding a one-year extension to the contract of Superintendent of Schools Gina Picard.  

Still angered by that meeting, during which the public was not given an opportunity to comment on the vote, residents were intent on expressing their frustration at the Tuesday meeting, and much of their ire was directed at committee Chair Louise Dinsmore.

Committee member Donna Chambers, of Charlestown, said she supported Picard and questioned Dinsmore’s leadership.

“Unfortunately, we have a quorum of members and a leader who controls the majority, and their actions are not aligned with the welfare of Chariho, and I think we all need to pay attention to that, because it can be a very slippery slope,” she said.

Chariho supporter Etta Zasloff, the current Vice President of the South County chapter of the League of Women Voters, warned that a decline in a public school system would affect more than its schools.

“You claim to be looking out for taxpayers, but I urge you to protect the one thing that keeps this community strong, and that’s our public schools,” she said. “A well-funded, well-led school district is one of the best investments that we can make, not only for our students, but for our entire community. It keeps property values high. It brings in new families, new businesses, and it builds the kind of community where people want to live and work and raise their children.”

Zasloff warned that the district was being systematically weakened.

“Chariho is a strong district,” she said. “We should be lifting it up, not tearing it down from within.”

Resident, Jordan Sereno, questioned the motives of the committee members, including Dinsmore.

“The behavior of the Chariho School Committee over this past election cycle has been deplorable, reckless, and must raise an immediate, resounding response from the tri town community,” he said. “Heavily influenced by the extremist group, Moms for Liberty, several members of this committee have worked painstakingly to dismantle the foundation that has made Chariho an annual mainstay on the Top 10 best schools in Rhode Island. They attempted to change our policies towards discrimination, gender identity, harassment of LGBTQ students, and even, still, are plotting to dismantle our library media policy. And now, they’re attempting to oust who they believe may be one of the last people who can stand in their way, Superintendent Gina Picard.”

Thomas Marron, a frequent Chariho critic, had a less favorable view of Picard.

“When I first saw her in action at a budget hearing, unintentionally, unknowingly, perhaps, she was rough on people, the speakers who came to the podium,” he said. “She has a condescending attitude that just bothered me immensely.”

The Richmond School Playground

The committee approved a waiver, requested by the Richmond PTO, that will allow people within the district, including staff and PTO members, to raise money for new equipment for the Richmond Elementary School playground, which was closed in April after the existing equipment was found to be unsafe.

The committee also approved a waiver for the playground at Ashaway Elementary School.

Charlestown member Linda Lyall made a motion to approve waivers for both playgrounds.

“My new motion is to waive the fundraising/commercial activity fundraising policy to include both Ashaway and Richmond playgrounds for the ability for the PTO to be able to fundraise,” she said.

The committee voted unanimously to approve the waiver.

A campaign is already underway to raise funds to purchase new equipment for the Richmond Playground. Started by the Maddie Potts Foundation, the campaign had, by May 14, raised $18,860 of its $111,111 goal. The playground equipment is expected to cost about $200,000.

The committee also voted to accept a $25,000 grant for the playground from the Rhode Island Health and Education Building Corporation.

Work on the Ashaway school playground will begin at a later date.

A recording of the entire May 13 School Committee meeting is available on YouTube.