Millions for schools

Schools increase budget, keep Feb. vacation intact next year

By Matt Bower
Posted 3/10/16

By a 4-1 vote Tuesday night, the School Committee approved Superintendent Philip Thornton’s recommended revised fiscal year 2016 budget proposal, which increases the budget by $888,758 in order to …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Millions for schools

Schools increase budget, keep Feb. vacation intact next year

Posted

By a 4-1 vote Tuesday night, the School Committee approved Superintendent Philip Thornton’s recommended revised fiscal year 2016 budget proposal, which increases the budget by $888,758 in order to account for one-time start-up costs to prepare buildings for consolidation as well as a series of building safety initiatives throughout the district. The increase results in a total revised FY 2016 budget of $163,184,562.56.

Schools Chief Budget Officer Anthony Ferrucci explained where the funds came from and how it will be applied going forward.

“At the school committee meeting in January 2016, we reported a total surplus for FY 2015 of $3,183,725, which was under audit by the city auditors. That surplus has been confirmed by both city finance and the city auditors,” Ferrucci said. “Prior to January, the school department approved a revised budget acknowledging the use of $2,423,026 prior year surplus. The difference between what has been acknowledged and what is currently available, $760,700, is incorporated in our current superintendent recommended revised budget FY 2016.”

Ferrucci then provided a breakdown of the major impacts on both revenues and expenses if the recommendation were to be approved.

In addition to the re-appropriated fund balance of $760,700 on the revenue side, there would be an increase of $180,000 in housing aid. And since Medicaid reimbursements would be reduced by $83,000 based on current year trends, $31,058 in miscellaneous minor adjustments would need to be made in order to achieve a total revenue increase of $888,758.

On the expenditure side, the salary line item would increase by $324,961 to account for substitutes, professional development subs and overtime pay for consolidation activity. This would be offset by a $364,390 reduction in fringe benefits, mainly due to a health cost reduction based on plan changes associated with staff cuts and staff going from family to individual plans. Included in that $364,390 reduction is $117,431 in federal Affordable Car Act fees, which were budgeted in health expense but because the Universal Chart of Accounts requires these fees be expensed in the debt service/miscellaneous line item, the $117,431 was moved to reflect that.

Ferrucci laid out the following major non-staff budget expenditure impacts.

Purchased Services

There would be an increase of $163,530 in contracted nursing costs due to significant demand for one-on-one support in special education.

Purchased Property Services

There would be an increase of $75,000 in maintenance costs for tree removal associated with additional precautionary trimmings based on the micro burst storm in summer of 2015, as well as an additional $75,000 for movers, riggers, and outside electricians that may be needed this spring in preparation of consolidating schools.

Ferrucci said those potential consolidation costs would be covered by miscellaneous cuts in the amount of $69,000, which would be achieved in four other budget line items.

Other Purchased Services

Ferrucci said $92,991 in savings would be achieved in property insurance costs and $399,216 in savings would be achieved in out-of-district tuition special education to reflect returning students to the district. Those funds would then be re-purposed to cover the contracted nursing cost increase as well as an increase of $152,314 in the out-of-district tuition other educational services line item.

Supplies & Materials

Ferrucci said there would be cuts in natural gas ($50,000) and electric ($100,000) costs due to experiencing a warm winter. Additionally, lumber/hardware, plumbing/heating, and electrical supplies would each increase by $25,000 for spring consolidation efforts.

Capital & Equipment

Ferrucci said $145,000 would be used to fund building improvements as part of spring consolidation efforts; $75,000 in re-purposed repair funds and other maintenance costs would be used to purchase three vehicles to reduce long-term maintenance costs; $156,108 in technology equipment for additional computers to support the one-to-one initiative; and $614,775 in building safety equipment costs broken down as follows: $50,000 for increased cameras at secondary buildings; $90,000 to upgrade burglar alarms; $60,000 for the start-up and installation costs of a voice over Internet protocol phone system that would place a phone in every classroom throughout the district; $400,000 for the purchase of the Mutualink communications system that would allow schools to connect with Warwick police and fire and Kent Hospital in the event of a natural disaster or school emergency such as an active shooter; and $14,775 in other miscellaneous costs.

Finally, miscellaneous adjustments in the amount of $9,763 in all other expenses district-wide would result in a total expenditure increase of $888,758.

In other action, the committee approved the re-purposing of unpaid bond funds that were to be used for fire code work on Aldrich and Gorton junior highs to instead go toward capital improvements to existing buildings. Two bid awards were approved for this work.

The first bid award of $391,232 to Kenvo Floor Company, Inc. would be used to resurface gym floors at Toll Gate High School and Warwick Veterans Junior High School as well as to replace gym floors at Pilgrim High School and Winman Junior High School. It would cost $24,516 to resurface the gym floor at Toll Gate and $37,984 to resurface the gym floor at Vets. It would cost $194,800 to replace the gym floor at Pilgrim and $133,932 to replace the gym floor at Winman.

The second bid award of $340,544 to Dynamic Sports Construction, Inc. would be used to resurface the outdoor tracks at Toll Gate and Pilgrim. The Toll Gate track would cost $177,744 and the Pilgrim track would cost $162,800.

The school committee also approved the 2016-17 school year calendar, which keeps February vacation intact next year, however it will be eliminated starting the following school year in 2017-18. One amendment was made to the proposed 2016-17 calendar, which initially provided three days off during the week of Thanksgiving, Wednesday through Friday. The amendment eliminated Wednesday as a day off, thereby restoring the traditional two days off during that week, and instead provided Yom Kippur as a day off for schools in October.

Comments

2 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here

  • Arya Stark

    This is just one of the reasons why I have a two year plan to move out of the state. TAXES! Which are surely going up AGAIN to fund our overly bloated school system. I just came back from CA and my cousin couldn't believe how much 1) we spend in the Warwick school system and 2) our property taxes! Our cities are similar in size and her house is valued twice as much as mine, but my taxes are literally twice hers?? Also, our school expenditures were millions higher. We could only shake our heads why? It's not like we churn out the smartest kids in the U.S.? In fact, we're way down at the bottom next to Mississippi! I wished I knew how badly RI was run before I bought here. What a mistake! It's sad because its beautiful here but not worth the cost to live here.

    Friday, March 11, 2016 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear Arya Stark,

    Please vote for me. We think exactly alike. I will "cut taxes; cut spending". I won't let us be compared "way down at the bottom".

    I will fix this mess but please give me a chance. Don't move away until I am elected. I have learned a lot from other areas like Texas, California, and Florida. They have better systems with less taxes. I plan on bringing those ideas to Warwick. Help me?

    Call me at 401-338-9900. Visit me at 1609 Warwick Ave. (my campaign Headquarters) or my web at www.correntemayorwarwick.com.

    Arya, have you ever known any tax for any program that was worth the money the taxpayers paid?

    I haven't.

    Enjoy the Spring.

    Richard Corrente

    Democrat for mayor

    Sunday, March 13, 2016 Report this