While disappointed that not a single representative of the school administration showed up at last Wednesday’s meeting when the City Council approved legislation to establish a school budget commission, council members say they do believe the school administration and committee take seriously a projected $9-million deficit in the current operating budget.

Solving the problem is another matter.

In a phone call Friday, Mayor Frank Picozzi said he was “shocked” when neither Superintendent Lynn Dambruch nor Assistant Superintendent Bill McCaffrey attended the special meeting, as it had been mentioned in discussions about legislation to create a budget oversight commission.

Picozzi estimates the deficit is actually $10 million if not more since the school audit has not been reconciled for FY 24.  It is projected to show a deficit between $600,000 and $1.3 million. In addition, the state appropriated nearly $1 million more to Warwick schools after the mayor and City Council approved the current operating budget.

Dambruch said Friday that she and McCaffrey were previously committed to meeting with parents of special-needs students. She said that meeting was publicly discussed at a School Committee meeting. She said about 20 people attended in person or remotely at the meeting, held at Pilgrim High School. The meeting started at 5 p.m. and lasted about three hours.

Galligan fields questions

Picozzi questioned the sincerity of the ongoing drumbeat that schools are looking to be transparent and cooperative in solving the projected deficit in the current operating budget if they weren’t present to answer questions. In opening remarks, School Committee Chairman Shaun Galligan explained the absence of administrators and said he would address council questions.

 Ward 6 Councilman William Muto gave Galligan a thumbs-up for representing the schools. “Shaun did a great job,” Muto said in a phone call Sunday.

City Council President Anthony Sinapi was forgiving of the absence of school administrators.

“Given that the meeting was scheduled on short notice, it's not terribly surprising. Had the meeting been scheduled further in advance, I have no doubt one or both of them would have been in attendance,” he wrote in a text.

He is also confident schools are sincere in their efforts to tackle the deficit.

“I certainly think they are doing their best to address the situation,” he said.

Freshman Councilman Bryan Nappa offered, “I believe that the committee is trying their best to handle this problem as effectively as they can. As I stated at the meeting, they need to be cautious about characterizing their efforts appropriately. Moving necessary expenditures to the following fiscal year should not be considered a “cut” and cannot be calculated as a dollar-for-dollar corrective action. I think they are well intentioned. I am confident that Chairman Galligan and the rest of the committee will do everything in their power to try to mitigate this problem.”

As evidenced by the council vote and articulated by the Picozzi, City Finance Director Peder Schaefer, state Auditor General David Bergantino and former Auditor General Ernest Almonte, Nappa  is not alone in thinking the schools can’t do it alone.

“I do believe that they need more professional assistance to appropriately reallocate their budget and to draw back spending and expenses in a way that is sustainable and has a minimal adverse affects for our students and teachers,” Nappa said.

Likewise a freshman councilman, Muto believes school administrators “truly understand the seriousness of the situation” but may not have the tools” to address it. He believes the problem can’t be solved in a year and that the “School Committee needs to find the money without kicking the can … it has to be structural changes.” He points to one change that is already beginning with schools converting to the same financial reporting system as the city. He sees the commission as assisting in “paving a new path” to fiscal stability. “People want Warwick to be strong,” he said.

In an email Monday, Galligan said the school administration continues its diligent efforts to reduce the projected deficit to a level that does not compromise student needs or academic achievement, while also not impacting bond or tax rates.

“Moreover,” he continued, “the School Committee and auditor general have called for the development of a comprehensive five-year strategic plan. This plan must not only outline the annual budgetary requirements, but also detail the strategies to achieve fiscal balance in a sustainable manner. To ensure progress, we have emphasized the need for this plan to be 'as close-to-final as possible,’ and be provided to the City Council no later than Feb. 28.”

There was no shortage of questions during the council meeting.

Nappa and Muto want to know when the schools knew they would be running in the red at the end of the fiscal year.

When Galligan disclosed the committee learned it faced a $6-million shortfall in the salary account in August, Nappa questioned how the committee could keep adding an additional $500,000 a month to the projected deficit.

Picozzi questions whether the School Committee can come up with a viable five-year plan to put the district in the black, as Galligan said will happen by Feb. 28. And he finds the $2.88-million in budget reductions made earlier this month only delaying expenses, such as pension contributions and the hiring of an assistant principal at Vets Middle School – “kicking the can a short distance,” not systemic changes to reduce costs.

Picozzi is hopeful the commission will look into why about 20% of the school enrollment is on IEPs (individual education programs) that require the hiring of teacher assistants and why Warwick’s ratio of teachers to students is 1 to 10 when Cranston, with 2,000 more students, is 1 to 13.

An argument made by former School Committee and City Council member Robert Cushman against legislatively creating the commission was that  the city could turn to existing legislation calling on the state to research both city and school budgets. Apart from being faster, Cushman reasoned, it would give a fiscal road  map to the city, which he estimated will face $1.5 billion in unfunded liabilities once $350 million in bonding for the new Toll Gate and Pilgrim high schools is issued.

Picozzi sees no reason for a comprehensive municipal-finance review. He said Tuesday that several people had spoken to him about wanting to serve on the commission, but he hasn’t made any decisions. He named Almonte as a possible candidate. The commission is to have three mayoral appointees with advice and consent of the council plus one appointee each of the superintendent and School Committee chair.

Picozzi likes Almonte’s  ability to connect with people.

“He doesn’t even talk like a Harvard-educated man.” However, with Almonte recently retired as director of the RI League of Cities and Towns, Picozzi questions whether he’s prepared to take on another job.

As for the legislation, Picozzi said the city’s senior representative, Joseph McNamara, introduced a bill Thursday. House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi didn’t foresee any problems with the measure gaining passage given the support it received from the council. Jeremey Rix, Ward 2, was the sole opposing vote. He argued that an appointed commission would nullify the authority voters vested in the elected School Committee. The commission won’t have the power to hire or fire employees or to negotiate personnel contracts.

An office for the commission, staffing and a stipend for commission members are other issues to be resolved. Picozzi would like to see the office located in the school administration building. Dambruch could not immediately think of a space, but said she would look into it. In addition to school administrative offices, the former Gorton Junior High School is being used to house Holliman Elementary School classes while renovation work is being done at the school.