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School Board

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

School Committee Discusses Budget, Roof Woes

School Committee plans preliminary studies so work can proceed on schedule, but members worry about the fate of the upcoming bond request

With a slew of unanimous votes, the North Kingstown School Committee (absent Lynda Avanzato, Melvoid Benson and Bill Mudge) approved its routine items and most of the consent agenda with little discussion. Despite the relatively smooth meeting, the committee hit some speed bumps – namely ongoing budget challenges, next year's budget, and how to pay for infrastructure repairs, including the Davisville Middle School roof. During Citizens Comments, Richard August said that the budget passed Feb. 7 is unrealistic because there is no way that the schools will receive a 4 percent increase from the town, which faces budget problems of its own. August said that the approved schools’ budget actually reflects increases over this year's budget, and …

In this Article:

NK School Committee OKs $58.7 Million School Budget for 2012-13, School Committee OKs $6.4-Million Bond Issue to Repair Schools [poll], Town, School Department to Collaborate on Eliminating $1.2-Million Shortfall, and 1 more ›

NKGOP Watch

5:51 pm on Wednesday, February 15, 2012

(absent Lynda Avanzato, Melvoid Benson and Bill Mudge) hmmm...... that's an odd trio to be missing in action! wonder whats up on NK-Land now! muahahahahaha   more ›

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

NK School Committee OKs $58.7 Million School Budget for 2012-13

Provisions include reducing, reorganizing and retiring more teachers and other staff, and assumes Town Council will raise school funding by 4 percent

Faced with shrinking revenue and rising costs, the North Kingstown School Committee on Tuesday reduced its original plans and approved a $58,532,487 budget for fiscal year 2013, which begins in July. The budget, prepared by School Superintendent Phil Auger and his staff, assumes North Kingstown will raise local taxes by the maximum legally allowed of 4 percent and will raise its contribution to the school budget by an equal percentage. Auger said that because most of the school budget is governed by contracts and other legal provisions with built-in cost increases, the approved budget nevertheless requires $1.4 million in cuts. Among them: reducing or eliminating some teaching, library, and other staff jobs, including a savings of $431,846…

In this Article:

Town, Schools to Face Multimillion Dollar Shortfalls, Outsourcing Leads the List of Proposed School Budget Cuts, Thompson to Step Down From School Committee, and 2 more ›

NKRI Transparency

10:30 am on Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Stay informed - perfect solution and relief for the taxpayer in having pension dollars fund the pension programs. http://wrnipoliticsblog.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/chafee-bill-allows-struggling-cities-and-towns-to-suspend-local-pension-colas/   more ›

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Ongoing Budget Worries Dampen Good News on Test Scores

The School Committee urged the public to attend the Oct. 17 joint meeting with the Town Council to discuss revenue, and an Oct. 20 gathering at Davisville Elementary School to explore the school's future.

North Kingstown School Superintendent Philip Auger laid the groundwork Tuesday for negotiations over next year’s contract with the Jamestown School Committee to educate students at North Kingstown High School, an arrangement that some in town feel does not benefit NK residents financially. “Let’s not quibble about a relatively small amount of money,” Auger said. Jamestown pays North Kingstown about $2 million a year to educate its high school students. Charging part of the high school bond debt service to Jamestown — a share estimated by the town manager at $262,702 for 2011 — should not factor into the bargaining over tuition, Auger said. North Kingstown owns the high school, and town residents enjoy unique benefits, such as reduced …

In this Article:

Letter To The Editor: Budget Requires Immediate Resident Input and Budget Constraints Squeeze the New School Year

COL

2:13 pm on Thursday, October 13, 2011

Please, Dr. Auger -- You don't know for sure what electricity or gas prices will be next year, but you make forecasts based on available knowledge and your judgment - that's why you get paid as a top administrator. A reasonable look at the pension discussion suggests that while there may be long-run savings and cost controls (otherwise, what's the point of this whole exercise?), there will …   more ›

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Budget Constraints Squeeze the New School Year

School Committee asks to meet with the Town Council and start discussing next year's budget now...and don't plan to stay home from school Sept. 29.

Gathering less than two weeks into the new school year, the North Kingstown School Committee focused mainly on money at its Sept. 13 meeting. The evening began with a brief presentation by Kathy Yeager on student drug and alcohol use. She said a recent survey indicated most high schoolers don’t indulge, but they find alcohol and marijuana easily available. That was followed by a presentation by Hilda Potrzeba of the Rhode Island Department of Education and two veteran teachers on a new state “induction” program to better train new teachers by using experienced mentors. To help make up for four days that schools were closed due to power outages caused by Tropical Storm Irene, the committee voted to change the school calendar and eliminate a…

In this Article:

North Kingstown Slowly Coming Online, Davisville Middle School, and North Kingstown High School

COL

12:54 pm on Friday, September 16, 2011

Also, kudos to the SC for getting out in front of the budget issue. Deficit reduction from DC is going to hit states, including education aid to states and hence towns. Add on the fact that whatever comes out of pension reform from the state will probably be borne in part by towns and the state continues to short most towns with meeting the education funding formula -- and we could be looking at…   more ›

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Phil Auger Named School Superintendent, Pending a Contract

School Committee approves North Kingtown participation – without funding – in a co-op ice hockey team for girls from three high schools.

At last night's meeting, all members of the North Kingstown School Committee made a point of saying that interim School Superintendent Phil Auger will make a fine permanent school chief. They praised his accomplishments as assistant superintendent since 2009, and noted that he lives in North Kingstown and sends his children to public schools here. But, it took a couple of false starts before Auger was formally appointed – without a contract that spells out salary, benefits or duration. William Mudge made the motion to give Auger the job permanently, pending a contract agreement, and it was quickly seconded. This bothered Richard Welch, who last week published a letter to the editor calling for a traditional, formal search for a new …

In this Article:

Letter To The Editor: School Board Vice-Chair Supports Superintendent Search and School Committee Considers All-Girls Ice Hockey Team

Thursday, May 26, 2011

High School Hockey, Gymnastics Survive Budget-Cutting

Saving jobs leads the priorities as the North Kingstown School Committee whittles down more than half of the 2011-12 deficit

For the second time this month, dozens of people turned out for the School Committee meeting Tuesday night at the North Kingstown High School, and this time more of them took to the microphones during the public comment period. A number of speakers identified themselves as school employees and members of the Education Support Professionals association who also live, raise their families and pay taxes in North Kingstown. Others were students who spoke warmly of the positive things custodians and “lunch ladies” contribute to the schools. Their comments were aimed at proposals for the 2012-13 school budget year. The school committee and school staff are exploring proposals to outsource custodial duties, at a savings of $400,000 per year; …

In this Article:

North Kingstown High School

Susan

1:32 pm on Sunday, May 29, 2011

Pam Good idea to regionalize but you're wrong on the number it costs NK taxpayers to educate Jamestown high school kids. IT costs 10k per student to education any high school student at NK high, and that's what Jamestown pays. For Jamestown kids, that includes a share of all the overhead at the high school, but doens't include the extra costs for a elementary or middle school student in NK, that'…   more ›

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

School Committee Focuses on Budget, Not Policy

Struggle to protect school support and control spending dominated Tuesday meeting

The North Kingstown School Committee was almost united at its Apr. 26 meeting: nearly every committee member present voiced frustration with the Town Council and some council members’ reported views on school spending. Reacting to reported comments by council members that the town’s proposed budget was already "trim" and that additional cuts should come from the schools, School Committee member Kimberly Page pointed out that school employees, unlike town employees, have undergone pay freezes and made benefits concessions, now paying 20 percent or more of their health insurance. Chair Richard Welch agreed, noting that town administrators have received raises. In contrast, on Tuesday night the school committee renewed seven contracts for …

In this Article:

Wickford Middle School, UPDATE: School Janitor Arrested In Connection With Friday's Bomb Threat, Fishing Cove Elementary School, and 2 more ›

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Melvoid Benson, Charles Brennan Resign From NK Democratic Committee

Wednesday night's vote to censure Benson over School Committee actions triggers resignations.

School Committee Member Melvoid Benson has resigned from the North Kingtown Democratic Town Committee following its vote to censure her Wednesday night. The committee was called into a special meeting to address the anger and frustration stemming from the North Kingstown School Committee's election of its chair and vice chair, a meeting which took nine motions to decide the school board's leaders for the next two years. Newly-elected Town Council Member Charles Brennan followed suit with Benson and also resigned from the town committee. In his resignation e-mail, Brennan said: "I can no longer serve on a committee that would treat a long serving public servant like Mrs. Melvoid Benson as it did last night at our meeting. It is apparent …

Dave

10:20 am on Saturday, April 9, 2011

Sadly, she isn't doing a good job anymore. As much as she is due respect for her past service, every elected official needs to be capable of the job while they are in office. Check the videos of the meetings. They tell the whole story.   more ›

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

NK School Committee Approves $16.8 Million For 2012 Capital Improvement Program

Committee defers action on placing video cameras on school buses, invites the public to join a discussion on new grading policies.

The North Kingstown School Committee approved the 2012 capital improvement program submitted by Superintendent Philip D. Thornton Tuesday night, which envisions capital improvements of $16.7 million for schools next year. More than half of the funds, nearly $9.5 million, would be allotted for Davisville Middle School. The proposed program now heads to the Rhode Island Department of Education and the North Kingstown Town Council for review. Individual capital improvements will undergo further study and approval before being submitted for a bond issue or other funding. The committee also approved all items on the consent agenda and agreed to put recommended improvements to the North Kingstown High School septic system out to bid.  Alfred…

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

NK School Committee Rejects Energy-Sharing Proposal, Celebrates Teacher Of The Year

Tuesday's meeting saw the North Kingstown School Committee reject an energy-sharing proposal, honor the teacher of the year, and discuss tests completed by fall student-athletes that could help indicate future concussion injuries

The North Kingstown School Committee, meeting at North Kingstown High School on Tuesday, began the evening on a happy note, recognizing two teachers for excellence. Dozens of parents, teachers, and children turned out to salute Stony Lane Elementary School kindergarten teacher Pamela Lemoi as she accepted her North Kingstown Teacher of the Year Award. She thanked her own parents for teaching her to "live life with passion." School Superintendent Philip D. Thornton also recognized North Kingstown High School calculus teacher Karen Dougan, who won the RI Siemens Award as Rhode Island's best teacher in preparing students for the Advanced Placement Calculus test. More than half of her students received the top score on last year's AP test, …

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