Maria Petrosinelli, the principal of Lillian Feinstein Elementary School at Sackett Street, has been on leave since Sept. 14. But the Providence Public School District still has not shared a reason for her absence, leaving teachers, families and the broader Sackett Street community confused and worried about whether she will return.
Since Petrosinelli became principal in 2024, enrolled students are receiving higher test scores in both English language arts and math. Under her leadership, the school’s rates of chronic absenteeism — when a student misses at least 10% of school days in one academic year — have also fallen.
When Petrosinelli took the reins, “all the faculty embraced her,” said third-grade teacher Elena Davidson. “We felt that she respected us, and in return, the faculty respected her. She’s just a wonderful person.”
So when teachers found out Petrosinelli was going on leave, they were “shocked,” Davidson told The Herald. “We felt like we were left blindsided.”
She added that teachers “cannot even imagine what she could possibly be put on leave for.”
The district sent a school-wide announcement on Sept. 14 explaining how Petrosinelli was “on leave.” The announcement noted that “out of respect for privacy, (the district is) unable to share further information.”
In an email to The Herald, PPSD spokesperson Alex Torres-Perez, similarly wrote that “out of respect for (Petrosinelli’s) privacy, (the PPSD) cannot share any more details as this is a personnel matter.”
Petrosinelli did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
On Sept. 16, about 30 faculty and staff members signed a petition urging the district to provide an explanation for her absence. “We respectfully ask for clarification, transparency and for our concerns to be taken seriously,” reads a copy of the petition obtained by The Herald. “Trust is essential to the functioning of the school, and right now, that trust has been compromised.”
An additional petition from parents and guardians received over 70 signatures. The Herald contacted over a dozen signatories from the petition and did not receive any responses.
Several Sackett Street teachers and community members also spoke out in support of Petrosinelli at an Oct. 22 school board meeting.
In Petrosinelli’s absence, Lisa Vargas-Sinapi, who has worked as a PPSD educator since 2004, has stepped in to serve in her place, Torres-Perez wrote.
“With Principal Vargas-Sinapi’s 36 years of experience, we are confident she can work alongside Assistant Principal Harley Van Dunk to continue to uphold Sackett Street’s values while building on its strong foundation,” she added.
But some teachers say they still feel Petrosinelli’s absence.“The people filling in, they’re very nice,” said Nicole Arena, a special education teacher at Sackett Street who also considers Petrosinelli a personal friend. But “the climate and culture is very different in that building.”
“We try to hold (the culture) for the students, but we also feel the loss of her and her presence,” she added.
Arena said she contacted Petrosinelli after her initial absence but has not received a response — behavior that she views as uncharacteristic.
“She was pulled from us, and we have no explanation,” she added.
According to Arena, other members of the school community have also reached out to Petrosinelli but have similarly received no response.
The same month that Petrosinelli went on leave, two educators at Sackett Street were placed on leave following reports of incidents that occurred at the school. Torres-Perez did not clarify whether Petrosinelli’s leave was related to these alleged incidents.
On Sept. 5, a behavior interventionist at the school was arrested after allegedly biting a student who had thrown paint across the room. She was then placed on leave as the Providence Police Department investigated the allegation, Torres-Perez wrote, adding that the PPSD fired the interventionist after an internal investigation by the district.
The interventionist is being charged with one misdemeanor count of simple assault or battery, according to the PPD.
The district received a report of another, unrelated incident on Sept. 9, which involved an employee who “was placed on leave pending an internal investigation,” Torres-Perez said. She explained that the district would not provide further details on the incident as it is against the PPSD’s practices to “comment on personnel matters.”
Davidson said she doubts Petrosinilli’s absence is connected.
“Maria follows protocol. She follows it by the book. She does everything the way she’s supposed to,” Davidson said.
The school community wishes they had more “transparency about what happened,” she said. “Because we really have been left in the dark.”
