Committee looks to slice $8M from proposed $181.4M school budget

Posted

If there’s one thing the members of the Warwick School Committee can agree on right now, it’s that balancing a budget for the upcoming fiscal year poses a challenge the likes of which the city’s school district has never seen before.

Superintendent Philip Thornton presented the committee with a $181.4 million budget proposal on April 21, representing an $11.9 million increase in spending if the department were to address all the needs he foresees. Knowing the city can’t finance such an increase, the committee is now focused on cutting about $8 million.

Aiming to safeguard items that are essential to student achievement, the committee brainstormed the possible options for cutting costs, going through items on a case-by-case basis in order to make the upcoming year financially plausible online meetings last Thursday and this Tuesday. They were scheduled to meet again last night.

With the obstacles presented to budget planning in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, an extension was granted by Mayor Joseph J. Solomon to the Warwick School Committee to forward the finalized budget request to the city. Friday, May 8th, is now the deadline for adjustments to be made and budget finalized.

Since Superintendent Thornton’s recommended budget was made available to the public, discussion has largely focused on which items are required to retain their funding when the time comes to cut costs. Student programs - especially athletics and other extracurricular activities - are areas the committee has stayed away from, in light of strong opposition from Warwick’s student population last summer when the items were cut and later restored after the council and mayor appropriated additional funds. 

However, in order to retain these activities, many items had to be pushed forward into this fiscal year - accounting for the hurdle of a nearly $12 million increase.

“This committee has to grapple with something really, really difficult,” said David Testa in an interview Wednesday. He described a scenario involving a reduction of $8 million in the superintendent’s by examining potential ways to reduce the district’s most significant expenses. “We have to control our people costs...We’ve got to look for where the money is.” 

Testa asserted that the budget issue could not be solved through cutting “nickels and dimes,” instead focusing on the need to mitigate the most prominent figures contributing to the increase. When asked about specific areas for cuts, Testa mentioned a restructuring of health care options for Warwick Schools employees that will not only provide more choices but could potentially reduce costs. 

“I think the community spoke loudly and clearly about [cutting sports] last year,” said Testa, reinforcing the committee’s desire to avoid impeding student activities as a result of the sacrifices needed to ensure that next year’s budget request remains plausible. He is in agreement with comments made last week by Darlene Netcoh, president of the Warwick Teachers Union, regarding the need to prioritize student-based items, especially curriculum, materials, and professional development. 

“We’re looking at everything, but especially areas that don’t affect education for students,” said Chairwoman Karen Bachus in another call yesterday when asked about items that could become potential cuts. “We want to stay away from everything that’s good for kids. We have to prioritize education and support. That’s my goal.” 

Kenneth Rix, Athletic Director, outlined specific renovations and equipment requests included in the sports budget during both Thursday and Tuesday’s meetings, including a new football scoreboard for Pilgrim High School and district-wide uniform replacements. Warwick Vets Middle School is also due for several equipment upgrades, specifically replacements for basketball nets and a new wrestling mat.

Rix also included a list of items that have been included in the budget but frequently cut over the past three years. While not included in the athletics budget for this year, several items such as tennis court repairs, track renovations, and a new infield groomer for baseball and softball fields were listed as important upgrades to be made.

In wake of the COVID-19 pandemic mandating distance learning in all public schools across Rhode Island, the Warwick School Committee has placed more emphasis than ever on the need for reliable and updated technology. Jennifer Connolly, Director of Special Services, noted specifically in Tuesday’s meeting the importance of technology in supplementing special education. As virtual resources become ever more crucial to student learning, the committee reinforced the need to maintain funding for technological resources as they look forward to what reductions will have to be made to the budget.

Virtual meetings are now being held on the Youtube channel of Douglas Alexander, Director of Technology for Warwick Schools. Archives of previous virtual meetings, as well as upcoming livestreams, can be found on the channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMZJU6VsTHaqBYlt5r_vAdg.

Comments

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

  • wwkvoter

    Getting the request down to only a 4 million increase, that's a move in the right direction to do their part on the expected city revenue drop due to this pandemic.

    Thursday, April 30, 2020 Report this

  • thepilgrim

    Close the schools. There is no reason for any of them to exist.

    Friday, May 1, 2020 Report this

  • Happy

    The school budget should be at least $200 million!

    There are just so many improvements that have to be done and sadly will get kicked down the road!

    If the conditions and learning equipment are upgraded think of how much better our very highly paid teachers could do!

    Saturday, May 2, 2020 Report this