School cuts

Meeting over school budget set for Monday

By John Howell
Posted 7/26/18

By JOHN HOWELL The School Committee's action to cut $6.6 million from its budget including the loss of 25 jobs, elimination for funding for the mentor program and possible charging of $1 a day for school bus rides is sending shock waves through the

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School cuts

Meeting over school budget set for Monday

Posted

The School Committee’s action to cut $6.6 million from its budget including the loss of 25 jobs, elimination for funding for the mentor program and possible charging of $1 a day for school bus rides is sending shock waves through the community and finally, it appears, the mayor, city council president and superintendent and School Committee will meet.

Meanwhile, the School Committee is pursuing action under the Caruolo Act to bring suit for the city to increase funding. An investigative audit of the school budget is expected to be completed in early August, which will be presented to the committee later in the month. It will then be up to the committee whether it brings suit.

Mayor Joseph Solomon said yesterday numerous efforts to coordinate a meeting with the School Committee in response to a request from committee chair Bethany Furtado were unsuccessful because of conflicting schedules. He said he sent the parties an email that he’s available 24/7.

“I’ll be there [whenever they set it],” he said. “I will sit down and talk and listen.”

School Superintendent Philip Thornton said the committee is “actively pursuing to get a meeting with the mayor and the City Council president.” Then later yesterday, Catherine Bonang, secretary to Thornton, reported a meeting has tentatively been scheduled for Monday at 9 a.m.

What could be accomplished by meeting?

“[I have] no authority but to give an opinion,” Solomon said. He pointed out that under the City Charter he doesn’t have the power to tell the School Committee how to spend its budget allocation. Referring to the allocation of city funds that would require council approval, he added, “I don’t have the power to deliver…I don’t know what they’re asking for.”

Solomon did offer his opinion on cuts made by the School Committee, scoring the $102,000 cut from the mentor program and speculating schools could have saved $500,000 had it sought bids on busing and $1 million if it had piggybacked with the city on Blue Cross. Because of dependence on volunteers as mentors, Solomon called the mentor program “almost a freebie.”

Asked about bids for busing and health care, Bonang said in the last seven years the department has sought bids on two occasions. In the first instance, First Student that has the contract was the only company capable to providing a fleet large enough to accommodate the city. In the second round of bidding, First Student was the only bidder.

As for health care, Bonang said a switch to Blue Cross could have saved $300,000 but that it was the city’s consultant that recommended schools stay with West Bay Health based on long-range considerations.

Solomon was critical of school’s initial budget request calling on the council for an additional $8 million in city funding.

“It was legally and financially impossible to reach that number,” Solomon said of the $8 million. The council increased school funding by $1.5 million. Schools requested a budget of $171.4 million. The Council approved a $164.7 million school budget. It also put an additional $4 million into road repaving while levying the maximum allowable property tax rate increase.

Could parents end up paying for school busing as is being done in Massachusetts?

That seems unlikely, as free school busing is a state law. Similarly it seems unlikely many of the eight waivers requested on the Rhode Island Commissioner of Education including a charge for athletics and elimination of school bus monitors on selected routes would be granted.

Asked for his opinion on the requested waiver that schools pay $1,750,000 in bond principal and interest payments, Solomon said that the committee “voluntarily accepted that payment” some years ago.

One of the deepest cuts in terms of personnel would be in positions represented by the Warwick Independent School Employees or WISE. A total of 25 jobs are eliminated including eight teacher assistants, four library clerks and 15 custodians.

The waivers sought by the department, totaling nearly $6 million between revenues and savings to which the commission has until next Thursday to respond are:

Charging for Busing

School transportation accounts for a little over $10,000,000 annually. Costs continue to escalate with contractual and fuel increases. Following the models set forth in the neighboring state of Massachusetts, the Warwick School District seeks the authority to charge $1.00 a day for transportation costs per each student. Putting this in place in the district would raise approximately $954,000

each year.

Charging for Sports

School sports at the middle and high school levels has a yearly cost of $850,000 for the Warwick School District. Following the models set forth in the neighboring state Massachusetts, the Warwick School District seeks the authority to charge for middle and high school sports. Based on preliminary reviews, Warwick Schools would be seeking to create a fee structure that provides a sliding scale based on ability to pay and a cap based on the number of students from one family and number of sports played by the student. The fees would be based on the cost of the sport. We would be attempting to fund 50% of the annual athletic budget thereby increasing revenue by $425,000

each year.

Elimination of School Bus Monitors

School bus monitors on all school buses is a unique circumstance to Rhode Island school districts. Other school districts around the nation do not staff monitors to the same level as Rhode Island, and yet, do not have any higher incidence of student safety issues. The elimination of school bus monitors on specified bus routes is projected to save $275,000 each school year in Warwick.

 Elimination of Payment for Private School Books 

Each year the Warwick School District pays $40,000 for textbooks for students not attending schools in the District. Warwick is asking relief from this requirement. The savings from this requirement would be 40,000 each year.

 Elimination of Payments for Student Pathway Programs

Over the last several years RIDE has changed positions with regard to Career and Technical school regulations/student choice as they pertain to student placement in various programs or pathways. What was a prescribed system of catchment areas for districts and the respective students, has turned into a public school voucher system with no external accountability system.

Warwick Schools is budgeting 17 students attending neighboring North Kingstown and 13 students attending Foster Glocester for programs that are already run in Warwick Schools. The lure of a more desirable zip code or the promise of joining a particular sports team is often the attraction for these moves.

Districts have asked RIDE to create a metric by which all schools with a particular pathway can be measured, the argument being; should a sending school district have a comparable program in district, in scope and quality, they would not be obligated to pay an out of district tuition.

To date we have no accountability system to regulate student choice where districts have identical programs, thus, districts are forced to pay increasing tuition rates to outplaced students.

Pathway tuitions to other school districts are budgeted at $515,494 in FY 18-19. The district is budgeting transportation costs totaling $175,000. The district seeks the ability to retain students in district where the same program is offered. Doing so will provide Warwick Public Schools a total savings of $690,494 for the 2018-2019 school year.

 Elimination of Payments for Charter Schools

Payments to charter schools from Warwick has risen from $170,000 in FY 2009-2010 to a budget of $1,287,900 in FY 2018-2019. In addition to the tuition cost to the district, Warwick Schools loses state aid to charter schools for these students. Warwick is seeking financial relief from this mandate, the combined relief would provide $1,698,530 for the 2018-2019 school year.

 Elimination of Transportation Costs for DCYF Placed Students

Previously districts were compensated for DCYF students placed in district through payments made to group homes for each bed in the community the child would reside/attend school. This year, new practices have been implemented whereby Warwick Schools is now paying for DCYF students transportation to various schools throughout the state. Warwick is seeking financial relief from this mandate, which would save the district $120,000 for the 2018-2019 school year.

Elimination of District Payment for School Building Debt Service

Warwick is one of very few systems currently paying debt service. Starting in 2010, the Warwick School Department has been compelled by the City of Warwick to pay the principal and interest payments on city owned buildings. Current year cost is $1.6 million and slated to rise to $1,750,000 in FY 18-19.

 Total Fiscal Relief From Above Areas                      $5,953,024

Comments

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  • Justanidiot

    oh know, master mayer has a conflact on that nite. cans you reschedule it so he can spread his wisdom

    Thursday, July 26, 2018 Report this

  • Justanidiot

    The school district is going to take out their poor negotiating skills and contract settlement deals with the teachers on the students. Thanks bunches.

    Thursday, July 26, 2018 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear Justanidiot,

    Don't worry. I'll be there if the public is allowed, and if not, I'll be there in spirit.

    Dear parents, teachers, students, and taxpayers,

    I agree with acting mayor Solomon on this one. He says he is available 24/7. That means that this is a number one priority, no matter what! And it should be!

    And Bethany Furtado has a "conflicting schedule"????? A conflicting schedule???!!! Are you KIDDING ME??!!

    HEY! FURTADO!!

    THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN BE DOING THAT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THIS! NOTHING! DO YOU HEAR ME?

    Now, for once, DO YOUR JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Meet with the Mayor!

    And "charging children for riding the bus" is just like taking away their lunch money. It's the most disgusting idea I have ever heard and it sickens me to even think about it. Don't act like a bully. Act like a servant of the citizens of Warwick. They are counting on you. You are SUPPOSED to represent their best interests.

    Warwick has a growing problem with a 5-member School Committee that spends over $160 million dollars a year; over A BILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS SINCE 2009, and they have NO accountability to the 80,000 taxpayers that are paying the tab! NONE! That, unfortunately, is according to our charter. That has to change and as Mayor I will do everything possible to change it.

    What's the solution? A Home Rule Charter! That will give the City Council the ability to get involved and create a system of checks and balances. Is it foolproof? No. But it's a hell of a lot better than just taking the word of the School Committee for how they spend taxpayers money! How's that worked out so far?

    1. The School Committee has received over ONE AND A HALF BILLION TAXPAYERS DOLLARS SINCE 2009.

    2. They haven't been accountable for ANY of it!

    3. They received $163million for this years budget, laid off a ton of teachers and STILL ran out of money!

    4. They went to the City Council for millions more and then blamed the City Council for the failings of the School Committee.

    5.They want $40million MORE in the form of a bond and they won't agree to have a "clerk-of-the-works" to oversee how it is spent.

    6.They keep adding staff to their own administration while the teachers keep losing their jobs.

    7. They promised back pay to arrive for our teachers 4 days before Christmas and they reneged! FOUR DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS!

    8. And I don't see any pay cuts for their salaries, in fact, they want contract extensions that guarantee their own future income while teachers keep losing theirs.

    Warwick has more than it's share of problems but, by far, this is the biggest one. We NEED a Home Rule Charter. We NEED to have the taxpayers, parents, students, and teachers represented by their City Council people. We can't let these bullies take the lunch money away from our children. We just can't.

    I, for one, would rather have plenty of quality teachers that had to teach in a tent than have the Taj Mahal and one less teacher. Buildings don't teach our children a damn thing. Teachers do!

    My critics will say that I'm pandering to the teachers and in this case they may be right. But the teachers deserve to be pandered to at this point. On the other hand, the treatment the School Committee should receive is in the "tar-and-feather" category and I will be happy to pay for the supplies. Furtado can go first.

    Happy Summer everyone.

    Rick Corrente

    The Taxpayers Mayor

    Thursday, July 26, 2018 Report this

  • allent

    Charge 10$ a day for rides. Teachers shouldn't be expected to work past their early 50s....just not fair

    Thursday, July 26, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    No matter how many times the make-believe mayor repeats his lies, they will remain lies.

    A Home Rule Charter would not change the longstanding state law that requires salaries and benefits to be paid first, ahead of any other expenditure.

    For all his yelling at members of the school committee -- and calling for "tar and feathering" -- the make-believe mayor is an impotent, pathetic, failed candidate who supported the WTU through the pickets, sick-outs, and other PR stunts that delayed a contract for two years and is now blaming the school committee for it.

    Serious, honest, taxpaying voters know better -- and they will show that by overwhelmingly rejecting the make-believe mayor's lie-filled campaign on Sept. 12.

    Thursday, July 26, 2018 Report this

  • feduptaxpayer

    The state of the School Department does not surprise me. It has been a sinking ship for years. I pulled my children from the Warwick Schools due to the fact it was not meeting my children’s needs. After fighting many of the cuts in the past to no avail, I threw in the towel.

    I am paying private school tuition and in doing so, saving the school department money. The money I pay in taxes that would be going to my children’s education as Warwick school students is now dispersed amongst those that do attend. Now, they want to charge me for the text books my taxes pay for?!

    As for the claim that students attending schools in other district Pathway programs is due to the “lure of a more desirable zip code” or sports is ludicrous. I looked in to these programs as a more affordable alternative to the private school because of the programming strengths and my children would be more challenged in the other district environments. The parents I know who made these choices did so for educational purposes.

    The mismanagement of this district, educational philosophy and lack of rigor caused me to lose all faith in this district’s abilities. The amount of students who have left for private school, Pathways or Charter Schools (not to mention the number of families that have moved) should be a wake up call to this district! If it comes to a point that private school is no longer an opportunity for my family, I will be putting up a For Sale sign. It is disgraceful. Every child in this city deserves better. The administration and school committee should be ashamed.

    Thursday, July 26, 2018 Report this

  • feduptaxpayer

    Let’s also not forget that the District made the decision to close schools and eliminate neighborhood schools. Families that moved to certain neighborhoods because a school was in walking distance are now forced to put their kids on buses. Your decisions have created a need for more busing and now you are going to force families to pay? Despicable.

    Thursday, July 26, 2018 Report this

  • Justanidiot

    Agreed feduptaxpayer. Why not charge each child for the paper they use, pencils they use and the time they spend one on one with a teacher? You want a warm school, well you better pony up a few bucks for a lump of coal Timmy Cratchit.

    Why go halfheartedly into this? Grow a pair and really change the schools. Build one big building where all the kids are warehoused from 3 until 18. If they get educated fine, if not they are off the streets at least from 7 am to 2 pm. You could eliminate so many principals and teachers, there would be extra money to hire some more administration and pay them well. Plus, you could charge for everything that each student needs or wants. PLUS, raise the property taxes so that you can get more tax money in so you can give raises to those poor overworked undervalued directors.

    Once this plan is in place it will be fool proof. The people moving to Warwick with kids they want to enter into public schools will plummet so you job will get easier as you make more money.

    Where have you gone Mr. Shapiro, a lonely school district turns its eyes to you. woo woo woo

    Friday, July 27, 2018 Report this

  • Justanidiot

    sew master mayer, should we erect you or your spirit cum november

    Friday, July 27, 2018 Report this

  • patientman

    Pretty soon Warwick is going to be a city of retiree's and renters. Why would any family that values education live here. Labor strife every few years and programs constantly shrinking.

    Friday, July 27, 2018 Report this

  • bendover

    Raise the white flag, admit defeat and call the Commissioner's office to surrender the district for State takeover...There have been so many mistakes by so many parties you all should resign. As usual, the victims are always students and John Q. Public paying the freight for this monument to stupidity. Run a business of this size this way in the private sector and you'd be in jail. You are not part of any cogent solution, you are part of the problem. Go away.

    Friday, July 27, 2018 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear allent, feduptaxpayer, patientman, and bendover,

    I read your comments and I agree with a lot of what you're saying.

    But we (myself included in that) can be part of the solution or, if we do nothing but complain about Warwick, we can be a growing part of the problem. I've decided to be part of the solution, and I invite you to join me. My cell number is 401-338-9900. Call me! Yell at me! Complain! Condemn! Suggest. Discuss. Or just recommend. Say whatever is on your mind, but when you're done venting, give me your thoughts as to what changes YOU would make. Your opinions COUNT, especially with me. This City belongs to the 80,000 taxpayers that are paying the tab. Make your honest opinions known.

    I look forward to hearing from you.

    Happy Summer everyone.

    Rick Corrente

    The Taxpayers Mayor

    Saturday, July 28, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    All that readers need to know about the make-believe mayor is that he has blindly supported the WTU through the contract dispute that included work-to-rule, pickets, abd illegal sick-outs. They would be wise to stay as far away from the make-believe mayor as possible and join the thousands of honest, taxpaying voters who will overwhelmingly reject his candidacy again on Sept. 12.

    Saturday, July 28, 2018 Report this

  • Scal1024

    When those readers are done pressing Rick Corrente about his pandering position on schools, perhaps they can ask him about his rampant tax delinquency. This would be his car taxes from '09-'12 it wasn't until he couldn't register his car in 2012 that he had the decency to pay his taxes. This is a man who complained about a Senior Nurse being let go this budget, yet he can't even be bothered to pay his fair share and contribute.

    I would then ask voters to ask Mr Corrente why his property at 177 Grand View has had the taxes paid by 4 different parties over the last 4 years? Why wouldn't the taxes be paid in his name? These questions should be answered. Especially when the same person who paid Correntes depinquent property taxes in '14-'15, is the same person Corrente rents a campaign office from currently rent free. Rick skates around this by saying his business operates there and pays rent, and his business isn't charging his campaign any rent money to operate there. This is shady, backroom behavior by a dishonest, snake oil salesman candidate. Rick has never felt he needs to answer these questions. Instead he dodges them and denies them like a coward, even though facts provide evidence to the contrary. Rick Corrente is banking on voters to be as ignorant on facts as he is. Even though voters rejected him 2-1 in the last election.

    The "Corrente plan" is a list of talking points with no specifics. Rick Corrente can't name any spending he'd cut, he can't tell you how he'll pay for the "Corrente plan". His answer for how to cut taxes is "more taxpayers" , he wants to achieve this by writing checks to homebuyers for taxes the city already collects. That is literally throwing money away. Then again, "The Tax Delinquents" candidate wouldn't know how taxes work, he's too busy trying to cover up his record of not paying his own. Shame on Rick Corrente for telling the same lies over and over again, expecting this time will be any different. He will be rightfully embarrassed in this year's primary. Then what will his excuse be? Will he finally acknowledge that after 4 years voters officially reject his failed candidacy and reject the "Corrente plan"? With the type of delusion this man has shown, nothing is his fault. Not his foreclosure, his squatting, his not filing his payment of advertising in the pennysaver, his campaign cashing a bounced check, his 2-1 loss in the 2016 election, his failure to not be endorsed by anyone I could go on but you get it. Rick Corrente is a fraud candidate. Its about time he starts getting called out on it.

    Saturday, July 28, 2018 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear Scal1024,

    Answering your complaints repeatedly is almost fun if it wasn't so time consuming. Maybe you think you can wear my down. You can't.

    My car taxes were paid by me every year, and you know it. I wouldn't be able to register my car each year if they weren't. You know that too. My car insurance (through Butler and Messier Insurance) wouldn't be possible either, if my taxes weren't paid EVERY YEAR. I offered to show you proof here in my office but you always chickened out. Please stop telling this constant lie. You think that if you say it a hundred times, it will sound like the truth. It won't. It will still sound like what it is, a lie.

    I explained my taxes on 177 Grand View Drive dozens of times. You know that too. I sued my lender for breaking Rhode Island law in Federal Court and WON! Got that Scal? I won! I was part of a class action involving over 1,000 plaintiffs and WE ALL WON! The court ordered my lender to pay my taxes AND THEY DID! Got that too Scal? They DID! Plus! An unexpected bonus. They paid them late so Warwick got even MORE money. Got that also Scal? I've only explained this 15 or 20 times. And you say I deny these issues and "dodge them like a coward". A "coward" Scal??? You won't even give your real name and you call ME a coward??? Are you kidding me?

    Scal! Or whatever your real name is, ARE YOU KIDDING ME??

    You have issues Scal1024.

    Fake news. Fake sources. Fake people. Fake names.

    Happy Summer Scal1024. Please stay out of the hot sun.

    Happy Summer everyone.

    Rick Corrente

    The Taxpayers Mayor

    P.S. As far as those "talking points with no specifics" Scal mentioned, the "specifics" can be found at my web site "correnteformayor.com" or any reader can e-mail me at "correntemayorwarwick.com" or they (even you Scal) can just call me at 401-338-9900, for any "specifics" they (or you) want. How's that?

    Sunday, July 29, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    Here, Scal. Allow me, yet again, to shred the make-believe mayor's pathetic attempts to argue with facts.

    "My car taxes were paid by me every year..."

    This is a lie. Readers can visit this site: https://www.citizenselfservice.com/MSSProd/citizens/MotorVehicle/Default.aspx

    And enter "BANKRS" in the License plate number field.

    There was no such registration active from 2013 through 2015, a period of three years. Car registrations become inactive when the taxes are not paid on them.

    "I explained my taxes on 177 Grand View Drive dozens of times."

    And every time, it was a lie. Readers can visit this site to see the history of property tax payments on the make-believe mayor's former residence: https://www.citizenselfservice.com/MSSProd/citizens/RealEstate/Default.aspx?mode=new

    Entering 177 Grand Views shows that, from 2014 through 2018, four different parties [not the make-believe mayor and not his mortgage lender] paid the property taxes on that residence.

    The make-believe mayor also confirmed that he lost the property to tax sale to the Warwick Beacon: "According to the Tax Assessors and Collectors, Corrente’s house sold in an August 2013 tax sale for $10,145.98 in back taxes. Foreclosure was processed in July 2014 and the property is currently owned by Red Stick Acquisitions, according to city records."

    http://warwickonline.com/stories/mayors-race-hotter-than-usual,119296?

    "[T]he "specifics" can be found..."

    This is also a lie. The make-believe mayor's website is nothing more than repeated empty slogans with no specifics about how he would pay for the giveaways that he calls a "plan." Scal and other commenters have repeatedly asked the make-believe mayor for this information, only to get this reply, which he repeated again in his prior comment:

    "You won't even give your real name..."

    Honest, taxpaying voters will have many reasons to overwhelmingly reject the make-believe mayor's candidacy again on Sept. 12 -- including those he will continue to provide them through his delusional statements and pathetic behavior on this website.

    Sunday, July 29, 2018 Report this

  • Scal1024

    The ease to which Rick Corrente blatantly lies is reckless and disgusting. What a pathetic, shell of a man, with ZERO integrity or character.

    Read the following information left to right. Note that this deadbeat Rick Corrente has said that he "always pays (his) bills on time."

    2009 Car Taxes

    Due 7/15/09 Paid: 7/23/09

    Due 10/15/09 Paid: 11/10/09

    Due 1/15/10 Paid: 2/17/10

    Due 4/15/10 Paid: 8/11/10

    If you are keeping score Rick was 0 for 4 paying on time. Why does he continue to lie?

    2010 Car Taxes

    Due 7/15/10 NOT PAID

    Due 10/15/10 NOT PAID

    Due 1/5/11 NOT PAID

    Due 4/15/11 NOT PAID

    This is 0 for 8 paying on time. Read his previous comment again and note the utter smugness and delusion.

    Car Taxes 2011

    Due 7/15/11. NOT PAID

    Due 10/15/11. NOT PAID

    Due 1/15/12. NOT PAID

    Due 4/15/12

    It isnt until 1/25/12 when Rick is no longer able to register his car that he pays his taxes. He says things like "how did I register my car if I wasn't paying my car taxes?" Its simple. He neglected to pay until they told him he could no longer register his car. Thats when he decided he could be bothered to pay his car taxes.

    2012 Car Taxes

    Due 7/15/12 NOT PAID

    Due 10/15/12 NOT PAID

    Due 1/5/13. NOT PAID

    Due 4/15/13 Paid 3/13/13

    He pays late again. After this his car disappears from the cities tax rolls. He reappears in 2016 where Rick is once again late paying his car taxes every quarter. Why does a candidate for Mayor feel the need to lie about his tax delinquency? Rick pays his 2016 car taxes on 3/24/17 after missing 3 payments that year.

    His property taxes were not paid by his lender in 2014 and 2015. Those delinquent property taxes were paid at tax sale by Clayton Shackelton. The total over those 2 years was $13,000. There were also $500 in unpaid utility bills on the property while Rick Corrente was squatting there.

    For my final example of the total lack of integrity and character of Rick Corrente (I could go on and on) a small claims judgement in favor of Plantiff Nicole Gagnon for the amount of $1,578.75 (Continues....)

    Rick Corrente was ordered to pay. Corrente argues he can only make monthly payments. Corrente then makes 4 $25 payments before defaulting. He's taken back to court and ordered to pay restitution.

    This is the type of person Rick Corrente is. This may examples cannot be a coincidence. What is even more psychotic is the fact he continues to lie about it, even though this information is public, verifiable and previously fact checked. I will not have my character questioned by a cabdidate for mayor that can't pay his obligations, and walks away from his debts. A man who complains about the treatment of our seniors, yet couldn't be bothered to contribute to their care by paying his fair share of taxes. Rick Corrente can spare me the lectures on always paying his bills on time. What a fraud! What a lying, snake oil salesman. He truly is "The Tax Delinquents Mayor" and he deserves the ballot box thrashing he'll receive this September.

    Sunday, July 29, 2018 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    Richard,

    How come you never told us about the tax lien that you had on your office condo at 1050 Main St. (unit 16) in East Greenwich due to unpaid assessments in the amount of $4857.12 that was issued on Jan. 27, 2012 or the foreclosure of that unit that was issued on April 19th of 2012? Can you give us some details on this debacle? It just seems your trail of unpaid bills gets larger and larger.

    Mayor feckless

    Monday, July 30, 2018 Report this

  • MisterP

    What is really sad is the constant comments about political aspirations of Mr Correnti. He can make comment on the topic if he wants as can others. However, to not stick to the topic of the article and make the comment section a pissing contest about politics is so sad. Stick to the topic please. Just my opinion.

    Monday, July 30, 2018 Report this

  • Justanidiot

    School starts in just about a month and they are still dithering about trying to come up with some numbers to set policy.

    What a way to run a railroad. Announce the schedule, sell the tickets, start the train and THEN start to think about laying some rail to reach the destination.

    Plus, did the teachers ever get their raises? They were promised them around christmas but I haven't heard if they were implemented.

    Monday, July 30, 2018 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    Just so all of you know the extent of the fiscal impact and economic impact of the new teachers contract.

    The raises over the three-year contract total $13,348,000 dollars. Avedisian negotiate a contract that he knows we don't have the money to pay for then he takes his golden parachute, a $70,000 pension, and leaves us holding bag. Why isn't he being taken to the gallows and hung?

    Monday, July 30, 2018 Report this

  • wwkvoter

    Just so all of you know the extent of the fiscal impact and economic impact of the new teachers contract.

    The city will spend almost a billion dollars total over that three years (300 million annual Warwick budget times three). That 13.34 million is about 1.5% of that.

    Tuesday, July 31, 2018 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    Percentages of the budget are meaningless. It is about what is unfunded and what the taxpayer can afford. You are clearly a product of the Warwick Public Schools.

    Tuesday, July 31, 2018 Report this