Episode Eight: Candidate Chat with Gabriella Stelle
View the complete transcript.
In this episode of the Public Comment podcast, hosts Elizabeth Hammond and Sarah LaFontaine interview Gabriella Stelle, a candidate for the North Smithfield School Committee in Rhode Island.
Gabby is a lifelong North Smithfield resident with extensive community involvement — including her role as PTO treasurer, where she helped raise over $12,000 annually in school supplies for North Smithfield Elementary School. She's also served as a commissioner for the North Smithfield Soccer Association, a softball coach, and a senior project mentor who helped grow the school talent show from 12 acts to over 40.
In this interview, Gabby outlines her platform for the school committee, including:
Mandatory School Resource Officers (SROs): Gabby's top priority is making the SRO position a permanent, mandatory role at every North Smithfield school, citing benefits including reduced bullying, improved student-staff relationships, and faster emergency response.
Budget approach: Gabby advocates for a bottom-up budgeting process — identifying what cannot be cut before discussing reductions — to protect teachers, support staff, and student programs.
Educational excellence: From high-caliber teachers to close-knit admin teams, Gabby wants to ensure the strengths of the North Smithfield school system are preserved as enrollment cycles and state funding evolve.
Nonpartisan leadership: Gabby is committed to keeping school committee decisions free from political influence.
Community investment: Drawing on her years of boots-on-the-ground experience, Gabby argues that investing in students is investing in the long-term health of the entire community.
This episode also covers the recent turf field access dispute, the cost of out-of-district student placements (over $3.2 million in the 2026 budget), and the upcoming North Smithfield candidate forum, hosted by Public Comment.
Keywords: North Smithfield School Committee, Gabriella Stelle, North Smithfield RI local election, school resource officer North Smithfield, North Smithfield PTO, Public Comment podcast Rhode Island, school committee candidate interview, North Smithfield schools budget, Rhode Island local government podcast
