Town Council, School Committee Begin The Number Crunch

The North Kingstown Town Council and School Committee met up once again in a joint meeting to begin budget talks in an even tougher economic year than last year. Superintendent Phil Thornton provided the Town Council with a breakdown of the school’s proposed $61.8 million budget, which could result in a 1.6 percent tax increase from last year.

Among the big changes from last year’s budget are the removal of late buses, the cutting of two elementary school teachers (one from and another from ), the addition of a social worker, reduction of merit pay for all administrators and the addition of extended school days at .

The school department is also requesting $500,000 from the town for capital improvement to make critical repairs, including replacing the roof at .

“We’re talking in excess of $1 million to repair the DMS roof,” said School Committee Chairman Dick Welch. “We need to have money for emergencies.”

According to School Committee Member Joe Thompson’s estimations, the school budget would actually increase by 5.9 percent, not 1.6 percent. Thompson said he would not support a tax-increasing budget and wanted to recognize the concerns of citizens he met during his campaign who asked him for lower taxes. Thompson called for a two percent tax decrease, which he stated could be done without “cuts to sports, music or the arts.”

“The reality is that the budget submitted to you tonight will raise property taxes in NK,” said Thompson. “Make no mistake. As elected representatives of the people of this town, tonight you are receiving a tax increasing budget request.”

School Committeewoman Kim Page, however, defended the proposed budget and said it had been “leaner” in the past four years. She also feared that extensive cuts to help taxpayers would inevitably hurt students.

“There is a certain level of excellence expected of North Kingstown schools,” Page said. “We have a reputation of having good schools. I think if we want to maintain the same programs and level of education we have, this is the budget we need.”

School Committee Member Bill Mudge pointed to as another potential source of revenue for the town. Mudge brought up the issue that Jamestown's tuition is not going towards the department's debt service fund. That contract is slated to expire on June 30 of this year.

“It’s a potential source of revenue owed to this town,” said Town Council President Elizabeth Dolan, who said the council will look into talks with Jamestown.

School Committeewoman Melvoid Benson also brought to both bodies’ attention the enrollment issue. Although the student population has been declining in past year and is expected to drop by another 124 students next year, Benson reminded fellow elected officials of the growing affordable housing units in town. Both Wickford Landing and Crossroads will be expanding in the next few years, bringing in more school-aged children who will be entering the North Kingstown school system.