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The problem is NOT the needs of the students, the teachers, or the buildings. We can appreciate those needs. These are clear needs that have to be addressed. The problem lies in the organization that is handling the funds for all of that. They have proven themselves to be wholly untrustworthy time after time. Remember the Ragosta Report? Remember the Mario Atoyan tragedy; or the David LaPlante tragedy. The charter says that no one (not the City Council; not the Mayor; NO ONE!) can suggest of advise the School Committee (SC) "once they have the money".

The solution is simple. Don't give them a dime UNTIL WE HAVE AN AUDIT! An independent audit from an outside source will go a long way toward restoring faith in the SC that everyone, except certain members of the SC believes that we need desperately.

They are submitting an increased budget for a decreased student population. I can't support it. You shouldn't either. The City Council shouldn't. The mayor shouldn't. I hope they all don't until there is SOME sort of accountability. If the City Council and the Warwick taxpayers agree to give the SC the additional $85,000,000 they recently asked for, added to the $160,000,000 they already have (with NO accountability), then our cost of educating our (less than) 9,000 students comes to over $27,000 per student. As a comparison, I called the Beverly Hills School Department. Their cost is $14,333 per student. Should the Warwick taxpayers pay almost double what the Beverly Hills taxpayers pay?

Happy summer everyone.

Rick Corrente

The Taxpayers Mayor