School Committee Lops $245,000 From Upcoming Budget

Faced with an unappetizing array of possible budget cuts, members of the North Kingstown School Committee chewed over virtually every suggestion on the menu before finally swallowing a few at last night's meeting.

With the North Kingstown Town Council’s decision provide schools with from recently passed property tax increases, Superintendent Phil Thornton had prepared a list of potential reductions to the department's 2011-2012 budget. About half of the needed $862,000 came from trimming planned increases and half from cutting existing programs and services.

After three rounds of voting, the committee approved route changes that would eliminate the need for one school bus, saving $50,000 for the year; not replacing a retiring custodian ($40,000); not funding two new teachers proposed for Stony
Lane Elementary School ($135,000); and not funding a part-time clerk position ($20,000).

Committee members balked at cutting all the proposed new staff positions on Thornton’s list. Committeewoman Melvoid Benson suggested that recent disappointments with  and test scores indicate reading specialists, a speech teacher and other new teaching staff may be needed.

“Our main goal, our mission, is education,” said Larry Ceresi.

Several committee members called the superintendent’s list too narrow. “I want to see a new list,” said William Mudge, who believes potential savings are hidden in the supplies and technology budgets.

Ceresi said that rather than cutting boys’ hockey and girls’ gymnastics to save $35,000, as Thornton suggested, the school staff should report on the impact of cutting $35,000 from sports teams across the board.

Vice-Chair Kimberly Page, who presided over the meeting, said the budget subcommittee had already exhaustively searched for the “least painful” reductions.

The committee previously approved issuing requests for proposals on transportation, and on Tuesday evening they heard a report on proposals from two companies to privatize custodial and maintenance service. Committee Chair Richard Welch suggested getting RFPs on outsourcing lawn maintenance, snow removal and the school food service – which faces a $150,000 deficit in its account – separate from the overall school budget.

No one seconded Welch’s motion for additional RFPs, but the committee did support Ceresi’s request that the school staff prepare a report on whether North Kingstown charges significantly less for its cafeteria food than nearby school systems. During citizens’ comments earlier in the evening, one speaker had said raising menu prices a little would go a long way to offsetting the cafeteria deficit.

Committee members agreed to convey their suggestions for additional savings to the superintendent before the budget subcommittee’s next meeting, May 17.

The school committee meeting started at 7 p.m. at North Kingstown High School with several dozen people in the audience. Some left after the committee presented certificates to the
team and its coach, Nancy LaPosta-Frazier. A few others slipped out after a presentation by Stony Lane Elementary School staff on the school’s anti-bullying efforts.

Most remained and applauded as Sandra Blankenship, president of the North Kingstown ESP, recounted how other school systems had seen service declines with no money savings after outsourcing custodians, food service workers and clerical staff. “Private companies cut corners,” she declared, ”and they have hidden charges.”

The committee, with Lynda Avanzato absent, passed most of the consent agenda and then spent so much time debating budget cuts that it adjourned at 10 p.m. without finishing the final third of its agenda. The debate will continue at the next school committee meeting, 7 p.m. May 24 at the high school.