Letter: School Committee Vice Chair Comments on Patch Comments

Occasionally, I read the comments on North Kingstown Patch after the articles and I want to comment on some of the misinformation expressed by some readers as being factual when it is not.

The roof at Davisville Middle School is one example. Some think that the replacement of the roof is maintenance. It is not.  It is under capital improvement and is listed in the capital improvement plans (CIP) for the district and has been approved by the North Kingstown School Committee, North Kingstown Town Council, Rhode Island Department of Education and the Regents as being necessary for the safety of the students and staff. Passing the bond will return to the district 30 to 40 percent of the money spent to make the improvements listed in the bond issue. Building maintenance is covered in the budget, which is everyday, reoccurring things that happen – but not the replacement of 73,000 sq. ft. of roof and insulation.

The undesignated cash fund (fund balance) is the savings that the district made from ARRA funds, freezing of purchases, savings in utilities and heating fuel, freezing of wages and early retirement programs. The early retirement program started two years ago saved the district more than $500,000 in the first year and will continue to save the district money every year until the replacement hire’s pay equals the pay of the early retired staff – which could be eight to nine years out.

The budget shortfall is associated with the problems in the process. Every year the district tires to forecast future spending without knowing what the state or federal aid will be, enrollment from Jamestown, health insurance premiums, pension cost, heat and electric. We give the Town Council our budget on Feb. 27 and the council decides what they will fund by May 5, or there about. The state aid is not known until the end of the session at the end of June. Enrollment is not fixed for Jamestown until October. (Jamestown has many military families that are subject to transfer and some students can go to Roger High for vocational education.) All of this makes it very difficult to make an accurate forecast.

There is the propensity to point at the teachers’ contract. In any employment situation, you have to look at what the market is paying for good employees. No one works for less than another in his or her field. If they do take a position that pays less, they are still in the market to find a better-paying position as soon as they can find one. The teachers’ contract is the result of many years of negotiations and extremely difficult to change. The current contract saved the district more than $1 million over the previous contract in wages and benefits and has one more year to run. The next contract will need to change new hire benefits and wages. Our contracts for labor all have been accomplished without the help of Dan Kinder and Company, which the town uses. Check out our legal bills compared to the town’s for labor agreements.

Finding fault with the way things are, especially in this economy, is understandable, but we should not lose sight of the facts when coming to a conclusion. I would ask anyone who has a question or a suggestion to contact the superintendent – Dr. Phil Auger at 401-268-6400. Dr. Auger is very reachable and very willing to answer your questions. Every question is important and should be addressed correctly. I hope that as the economy returns to a better state that people don’t forget to remain involved and question how things are being done. The School Committee has made great strides in improving the operation of the district while continuing to provide a quality educational program for our students.

In November, we will have the opportunity to elect or re-elect members of the School Committee and Town Council. Please remember your concerns and make sure that the people that you vote for share your views and are qualified to make the decisions necessary for our schools and community.

Richard Welch,

8 Arrow Ln.

North Kingstown, RI