Rep. O’Brien calls for a House Oversight meeting on ILO Group education contract

 

STATE HOUSE – Rep. William W. O’Brien (D-Dist. 54, North Providence) is requesting a House Oversight Committee meeting to examine the recently awarded $5 million contract to the ILO Group for the purposes of safely reopening schools in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When I first read the news reports regarding this contract, I, like many others, was outraged.  To pay a group of outside individuals $5 million for the work that the Department of Education should be doing is beyond outrageous.  In this climate, where every single education dollar counts, I see this as an extreme waste of taxpayer dollars and I will be writing to Speaker Shekarchi and Oversight Chairwoman Serpa to request a meeting on this important matter,” said Representative O’Brien.

“The taxpayers of Rhode Island should not have to worry about their hard-earned money being squandered on duplicative services and it is my hope that the House Oversight Committee can get the answers that the residents of Rhode Island deserve,” concluded Representative O’Brien.

 

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