Providence School board OKs budget, decries deficit
5:38 PM Tue, Apr 28, 2009 | Permalink
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The School Board approved a $325-million budget Monday night, but not before a couple of members urged their colleagues to fight continued budget cuts, even if it means taking legal action. The proposed budget includes a nearly $14-million budget gap, according to chief financial officer Mark Dunham. This means that revenues total only $311 million. Dunham said that $9 million in federal stimulus funds expected to be funneled through the state are effectively nullified by more than $8 million in reductions to state aid. And he said there are very few places where the school budget can be trimmed, because 98 percent of the budget involves fixed costs, including salaries and step raises, utility costs, transportation and health care. The district, he said, will not be able to provide basic educational services if it has to cut nearly $14 million. In years past, Mayor David N. Cicilline, backed by the City Council, has come to the district's rescue, but Dunham said that is unlikely this year because the city is facing its own budget crisis. Meanwhile, the Providence schools face a $1.3-million potential shortfall in the current fiscal year. School spokeswoman Christina O'Reilly said that this figure represents less than 1 percent of the total budget and will be made up by "shaving a little here and a little there." In next year's budget, salary changes account for more than half of the $11-million expenditure increase, including $5.7 million in step increases and other contractual salary changes. Medical insurance, which is still in flux because the city wants to shift from Blue Cross/Blue Shield to United Health, could increase by $2.5 million, Dunham said. The budget crunch is taking place at a time when the district is opening two schools, the Career and Technical Center next to Central High School and the completely refurbished Nathan Bishop Middle School on the East Side. Although bonds were used to pay for construction, Dunham said it will cost almost $1 million to open each school. Because of declining enrollments and other issues, the Academy of Service, an alternative high school, will be closed in September. According to Dunham, the biggest budget drivers are still unknown, including how much money the district will receive from the city, state and federal governments. A new teachers' contract, which could add millions of dollars to the proposed 2009-2010 budget, remains in limbo. Supt. Tom Brady said that neither he nor the School Board has the authority to ask for concessions from union employees, but said that he believes that Cicilline could do so by issuing an executive order. Cicilline spokeswoman Karen Southern said yesterday that the mayor is focused on reaching an agreement with the teachers' union. School Board member Melissa Malone asked whether the district could get legislative permission to stop paying for private and parochial school services. The district spends about $3 million a year on busing, textbooks and special education services for non-public school students. But Dunham said that the state would cut off $189.4 million in aid if the School Board were to withhold services and added that previous efforts to petition the General Assembly for relief have been unsuccessful. School board member Maila Touray said that this leaves the board in the untenable position of having to approve a budget that fails the students of Providence: "This is so disappointing," he said Monday. "There is no new money for programs, for textbooks. If it means breaking the law, let's do it." School Board President Robert Wise said, "We have to find a different way. We have no options except the courts." Unlike other districts, however, Providence has been reluctant to sue the mayor under a state law called the Caruolo Act because Mayor Cicilline appoints the school board, a rarity in Rhode Island where school boards usually are elected. The proposed budget now goes to Cicilline, who will review it before sending it to the City Council for approval. Dunham said he expects the council will return a revised budget to the School Board in July. The original version of this story was posted at 11:13 a.m. 
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We've been talking about it for years -- statewide education reform. Is it too late for the upcoming year? Of course, but we need to get this on the table or we will continue to face these challenges far into the future. And, I'm not just focusing on education. Let's look at local government, fire and police, too.
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Oh cmon. Fire all the American teachers? While the schools are full of illegal aliens? Seems like the wrong solution to me.
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Ms. Touray should do her homework. The paltry $3 million the city "gives" to the parochial and private schools saves the city millions more. Very short sighted. Private and parochial parents vote, perhaps if the School Board were an elected position and not appointed, they would have to actually know the issues and answer to the voters.
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It's so rediculous any additional money the school department tries to get will never improve our children's education in Providence it will just be sucked up by the Department's top heavy adminstrative salaries and benefits while kids will still go with out text books and extra curricula activities. Mayor show some testicular fortitude and leadership for once and clamp down on wasteful PSD spending just making administrator paychecks larger and larger and overhaul the system. You need systems change in Providence not more money to feed the greedy.
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