Middletown schools ask for less money

MIDDLETOWN – For the second straight year, Middletown school officials are looking to do more with less.

Pointing to a continued decline in school enrollment and increasingly stringent budget requirements, School Committee members voted unanimously March 20 meeting to adopt a preliminary $36.3 million budget for fiscal year 2009. Should the budget be adopted, it would represent a $500,000 decrease from the current fiscal year.

One reason for the decrease was a request by interim Town Administrator Shawn J. Brown to include roughly $860,000 in bonded debt currently allocated for school projects from the school committee's budget to the general municipal budget.

One area that will not see a decrease in funding is special education. Under the 2009 budget, special educaion funding will increase $1 million from $6.6 million to $7.6 million. That number could have been much higher without the schools' participation in the Newport County Regional Special Education program, which matches special eduation needs with county-wide programs.

According to school department figures, the number of children attending Middletown Public Schools has declined every year since a 2001 high of 2,885 students. This year, 2,349 students began the year at Middletown schools, representing a loss of more than 530 students over the past seven years.

Middletown's decreased enrollment and corresponding decreased budgetary needs, however, have come at a price. School officials have sent out 15 layoff notices this year to teachers and five other positions will likely remain unfilled after retirements are taken at the end of the school year.

Staffing cuts are not new to Middletown's public schools. Since the 2005-06 school year, Middletown High School has lost 20 positions, 17 positions at Gaudet Middle School have been cut, and nine teachers have been let go at Aquidneck Elementary School. Forest Avenue School and Kennedy Elementary School are the only two schools to remain close to level, with two positions being lost at the former and none at the latter.

The adopted budget will be forwarded to Mr. Brown, who is expected to prepare an overall budget for the Town Council by April 1.

By Tom Shevlin

news@newportthisweek.net

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