School Committee Approves Preliminary Cuts; Looks at Alternate Budget Scenarios
North Kingstown schools may see deep cuts, including the elimination of the athletics program, if level-funded.
The North Kingstown School Committee approved the superintendent’s proposed $59 million budget with a 6 to 1 vote (Bill Mudge opposing). The budget, though tentative, assumes that the school department will receive a four percent increase in taxpayer funding – the most allowed under state tax caps. Adding to the cuts approved last week, the committee approved the elimination of one school bus. According to Superintendent Phil Auger, this cut would not impact start times next year.
Mudge did not agree with approving of the proposed budget assuming a four-percent increase and asked that the budget sub-committee be given more time work on the numbers and find further cuts. (The sub-committee is set to meet again later this week.)
At the request of Town Manager Michael Embury, Auger and School Business Director Mary King put together a list of potential cuts that would represent a two-percent increase in funding and another that showed cuts if the school department was level-funded. To reach the zero-percent increase mark, the schools would need to make almost $1.8 million cuts from this current year’s budget.
At Tuesday night’s meeting, Auger presented $1.1 million in possible cuts. Among those cuts was a $560,000 slash, eliminating North Kingstown’s athletics programs.
Committee Member Lynda Avanzato opposed the idea, citing that extracurriculars (including athletics) on a student’s transcript heavily factor into college admissions. Auger, citing studies, said that students who play sports are more focused on school during their respective season of play.
“Imagine the kids who would flock to private schools if sports was eliminated,” said Auger.
Another proposed cut was the elimination of all after-school activities to the tune of $100,000. Funding for the updating of textbooks would also be reduced by one-third ($25,000). The proposed cuts would also reduce money allocated for supplies, maintenance, equipment and building improvements. The district’s webpage coordinator would also be eliminated, along with one high school teacher and fifth grade music program.
One area of cuts that Auger was considerably leery of proposing was reducing the number of nurses in the district. Currently, each of North Kingstown’s eight schools had a dedicated nurse. Under the potential cuts, two of those nurses may be eliminated, resulting in one nurse covering more than one school.
“If that nurse was at the wrong school at the wrong time and something happened, we would really regret making this move,” said Auger.
The list of cuts Auger presented Tuesday night are about $580,000 short of what is needed to result in a level-funded budget. According to Auger, he felt it “irresponsible” to list any further cuts, such as consolidating the number of principals in the district.
“As my responsibility as superintendent, I cannot say these things would be good for the community,” said Auger. “It would irresponsible to suggest them.”
Auger warned that, if the school department was to receive a zero percent increase in funding from the North Kingstown Town Council, it could jeopardize the district’s ability to qualify for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) accreditation.
“If we went to that level of cuts, chances are we wouldn’t get NEASC accreditation,” said Auger.
According to Auger, the NEASC visit for accreditation costs around $60,000 and is expected to occur in the 2013-2014 school year.
Robin Medeiros
10:40 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Keep the music in all schools,for some student's it is the way to express themselfs.Also keep the foreign launage some college's and university require 4 years of a conservative launage.
Politics Sheriff of NK
11:20 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Yeah keep it all! And make sure the teachers get their razes too, it aint easy scraping by on SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND (with family health, summers off and a defined benefit pension) LOL
NK Native
8:37 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
I believe it's raises !! not razes, it appears you did not get a 75,000 education. What is it you do for your profession? The define benefit although earned was drastically altered and taken away .
Politics Sheriff of NK
3:51 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
Native, I spelt it thataway on purpose! But your claim that "define" benefit was drastically altered and taken away is bogus in the extreme. RI Teachers enjoy an unaffordable defined benefit retirement to this day. Teacher compensation should start to look like private schools (who have no problem hiring teachers). $50k, health insurance with 20% copay, and 401k match. Nothing more. That would solve our problems in RI and not hurt education a whit. In fact, it would probably help improve education but there isn't enough room here for me to explain why.
E
11:42 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Tough choices - none popular...reflective of our nation's crumpling economy - poor financial mismanagement trickles down, everyone feels it unfortunately. :(
Carrie
4:50 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
How about eleminating "merit" raises? How about the Admin. take pay cuts? Bet that won't happen....
We R NK
6:36 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Bet your right Carrie!!
Tired of NK antics
7:57 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
But it's OK for the union membership to get raises NOT based on merit, right?
We R NK
8:13 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
You are kidding, right?
Tired of NK antics
9:31 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
NO I am not kidding. I would much rather employees get raises based on merit than to get a raise simply because they are on the payroll and nothing else.
We R NK
10:16 am on Friday, February 15, 2013
Tired, aren't there yearly evaluations like the Super gets from the SC?
Tired of NK antics
12:02 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
@ We R NK, if the union contract says the rank and file get a 2% increase, then the rank and file get a 2% increase regardless of performance. No there are no annual evals, because it doesn't matter, if they are on the payroll, they get the raise. Hopefully there are discussions about performance throughout the year, but the only time those are of any value is when a grievance is filed against the administration.
Govstench
10:49 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Chipping away at this budget is painful but necessary. While school sports activity is a personal enrichment, it does not fall in the category of the core educational program. Public education was intended to to provide the basics in education. Over the decades it has attempted to mirror what is being done in private schools. There are areas in the school budget that are being abused, namely special education. We all know the games the parents are playing with this. In hard times, where taxpayers are under extreme financial strain to make ends meet, the municipalities must heed to what the taxpayers can afford. If the taxrates increase beyond the ability of taxpayers to meet, it will have a negative impact on bond ratings. North Kingstown remains in the top 10 as one of the most taxing towns. As the school department takes up the bulk of the town budget, the cuts need to continue but there is also need for the municipal side to do the same!
Politics Sheriff of NK
3:47 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
Special Ed WAS being abused, by Jim Halley with full support of NKGOP school committee members past. Thankfully, the kids who need extra resources now get them, so they can have a fighting chance in life.
We R NK
10:02 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
Tired, sorry you are wrong. As I said non certified and certified employees are evaluated yearly just like the Super is evaluated once a year by the SC. He gets a bonus every year and merit pay, whats the difference. If you don't believe me call any administrator or ask any employee. I
Tired of NK antics
12:56 am on Saturday, February 16, 2013
you said nothing of non certified or certified employees. cant change your position in mid-stream. so sorry for you.
We R NK
6:15 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
Tired what are you talking about? What other employees are there? Have you gotten this conversation mixed up with another?
Politics Sheriff of NK
2:19 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
And Tired of NK Antics you never said anything about Halleys abuse of Special Ed funds, not to mention hiding pork in the budget (and in the office), lying and all that. It makes me want to puke that the chamber of commerce and NKGOP for that matter is so flawed that they admit that disgraced miscreant. We pay the price to THIS DAY in mistrust of our school. You do know that, dont you? Answer me.
Tired of NK antics
8:15 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
Why would I bother mentioning that PSoNK, you bring it up every chance you get. Check your calendar, that was 10 YEARS AGO. It is officially ancient history....nobody cares.....except you that is.
Tired of NK antics
8:22 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
oh yeah...and eff off.
Politics Sheriff of NK
9:02 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
Same reason we cant let Pearl Harbor happen again, or 9/11, or any other human caused calamity. Learn from our mistakes. But the "Chamber" and the "NKGOP" have EMBRACED this guy. I've seen the current school chairwoman Page literally embrace the guy. No shame there! So yeah, it's relevant. And so is your defensiveness about the issue. YOU may wish it was not thought about any more, but I wont let it happen again. Part of that is bringing the issue up so we readers here can be mindful and vigilant. And it works.
Tired of NK antics
9:10 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
You are confusing ambivalence with defensiveness. I really don't care about what Halley did 10 years ago or what he is dong now. Your 10 minutes were up long ago Prata. Yeah I know its you. One of your "friends" told me and without me even asking the question. So stay barricaded in the basement of your hovel in Cranston, worrying about the past. You are an embarrassment to your entire family.
Tired of NK antics
9:16 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
The audacity of comparing local politics to death and suffering realized at Pearl Harbor or on Nine Eleven is sickening. You are an self-important blowhard and a thoroughly disgusting miscreant.
Politics Sheriff of NK
9:22 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
You are wrong again, but I do wish I was him and he is a PRIDE of the community having been proven RIGHT on an awful lot of issues. These speak for themselves:
http://www.nkspending.org/chris_prata.htm
http://www.nkspending.org/chris%20prata%20vs%20nksd.htm
These are good deeds and I appreciate him as do pretty much everyone I know.
Finally, as to someones "friend" trying to expose a contributor on here, I suspect you may have been intentionally misled perhaps in jest. Not hard thing to do I would surmise!
Politics Sheriff of NK
9:24 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
Answer two questions:
1) Is Halley a now member of NKGOP?
2) Did Halley steal funds from Special Ed kids and lie?
Just answer them. No mealy mouth blather, just the answers...
Tired of NK antics
9:26 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
I already told you Chris, i don't care. It not the answer you were hoping for, but it is my answer hotshot.
Tired of NK antics
9:29 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
Now please take your conspiratorial ramblings elsewhere Prata. You are becoming tedious in your Rainman like repetitions about a guy that has no bearing on anything anymore.
Politics Sheriff of NK
9:49 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
LOL when you guess my name right, I STILL wont say.
Simple instruction, answer two questions:
1) Is Halley a now member of NKGOP?
2) Did Halley steal funds from Special Ed kids and lie?
BONUS: Is Halley also a member of the "chamber" in NK?
Support NK
10:35 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
Dear ToNKA,
I always try to tell the children on the playground at school that sometimes you need to ignore the ones that are yelling in your ear. Please ignore the disillusioned person living in the past...and thank you for your comments!
Politics Sheriff of NK
10:44 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
Your welcome Ma'am. Its important to stay in focused on our values and prevent recurrence of corruption issues that were proven absolutely true, and quite harmful. In fact Halley and his stooges even tried to use Lynda Avanzato's child's illness against her, proven in a suit and reported in the projo and locals.
Remember that some readers were not here during that time and the NKGOP still has cancerous elements who would repeat that past in a heartbeat. In fact, they still are in some decisions as we have seen. I do not mind honoring those who cleaned it up by typing a few posts about it just to keep people aware what did transpire, and how to prevent it again. Notice how he didnt answer the question, what does that tell us? It's clear. But I dont need your thanks, just keep reading along, as you are.