Portsmouth schools ask for 2.3 percent budget hike

Five teacher’s aides cut under proposed spending plan

By Jim McGaw
Posted 3/17/19

PORTSMOUTH — The School Committee has approved a $39.68 million budget for fiscal year 2020 that calls for a 2.3 percent increase over the current spending plan of $38.78 million.

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Portsmouth schools ask for 2.3 percent budget hike

Five teacher’s aides cut under proposed spending plan

Posted

PORTSMOUTH — The School Committee has approved a $39.68 million budget for fiscal year 2020 that calls for a 2.3 percent increase over the current spending plan of $38.78 million.

The town appropriation — the amount to be raised through taxes — is $33.59 million, which also represents a 2.3 percent hike over the current figure.

The spending package, approved in a 6-1 vote Wednesday night, March 13, now goes before the Town Council for review.

School Committee Chairwoman Emily Copeland said in the five years she’s been a member of the board, this budget season has been one of the most challenging.

“It’s hard to make up those state aid cuts,” Ms. Copeland said.

The department is expecting to lose about $234,000 in aid through the state funding formula — from the current $3.65 million to $3.41 million, a 6.4 percent decrease. 

However, those lost revenues are being partially offset by tuition increases being forecast for the high school’s three “career academies” that are open to local students as well as those from outside the district. They are all R.I. Department of Education-certified career and technical education programs.

PHS offers The Academy for Education, Child Development, and Human Services; The Academy for Media Communications and Digital Video Production; and The Academy for Engineering Design. Together, the district expects them to bring in about $232,000 in revenue during the 2019-2020 academic year — $134,000 more (137 percent) than the current figure of $98,000

The district is also forecasting an increase in revenues generated from tuitions from Little Compton students who attend the high school — up $74,000, to $1.27 million. The district has imposed a 1.9 percent tuition increase for Little Compton students next year, which Chris DiIuro, director of finance and administration, said is based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers.

As for the expenditure side of things, Mr. DiIuro said “the vast majority of our increases were items out of our control.”

Losing five teacher’s aides

One of the casualties of next year’s proposed budget is the loss of five paraprofessionals, or teacher’s aides. 

According to Superintendent of Schools Ana Riley, two are being cut from the elementary schools, two from the high school and one from the middle school.

“It’s really based on enrollment. We only go by the number we know today and the services required,” Ms. Riley said. She added that enrollment numbers change, so it’s possible some positions could be recalled before the start of the next academic year.

During the public comment portion near the start of the meeting, Sheli Silveria, who co-chairs the Special Education Local Advisory Committee, urged the committee to retain all of the district’s paraprofessionals.

These aides, she said, are important to the academic success of students such as her son, who has an IEP (individualized education program). Her son has found “incredible success” and his self-esteem has risen sharply in the Portsmouth schools, Ms. Silveria said, which is testament to the assistance he’s received through those aides.

The teacher’s aides “break down everything in little bite-size things so (students) can handle what comes at them,” she said.

The paraprofessionals also serve high-performing students as well as those with special needs, said Ms. Silveria.

“Everybody needs to be covered,” she said. “These paraprofessionals are essential to the success of the (entire) student body.”

During discussion on the budget, Ms. Riley stressed that no child with special educational needs will be denied the services of a teacher’s aide.

“If a child has an IEP, they don’t lose them. That’s a required service,” she said.

Whenever possible, she said, the district will also try to place students with IEPs in co-taught classes, where two teachers team up to educate a group of general ed and special ed students together. In a separate agenda item Wednesday, the committee heard a lengthy presentation about the benefits of team teaching and how it gives special education students access to the general education curriculum.

“Our goal is always to look at those numbers and look at where they can be put in a co-caught (class),” Ms. Riley said.

Budget changes questioned

Mr. DiIuro noted that the spending plan reviewed by the committee Wednesday was the third draft of the budget. The first version, from Feb. 14 requested $39.97 million. Twelve days later, it was increased to $40.03 million.

After meeting with the town’s administration team, however, Mr. DiIuro made over a dozen “adjustments” to bring the final proposal down to $39.68 million. Among the reductions were more than $100,000 in salaries and related benefits, $137,000 for technology equipment for grades 6 and 9, and $35,000 for new math and social studies books. (Administrators said they felt comfortable with delaying the purchase of those last two items until next year.)

Mr. DiIuro also adjusted some figures to include less money for maintenance and repairs, supplies, natural gas, electricity and other expenses.

Allen Shers was the only committee member to vote against the budget, saying he wanted more funding for the schools than what was being proposed. He also questioned the fluctuating numbers in the different budget drafts.

“All of a sudden in a short period of time, we’ve dropped $347,000. That has to raise my curiosity as to such a big drop here at the end,” Mr. Shers said. “As far as this epiphany that occurred here … We’re projecting that natural gas and electricity are going to be lower. That seems like we’re going off on a plank."

Both Ms. Riley and Mr. DiIuro said the school district is working with the town to make sure the overall municipal budget doesn’t exceed the 4-percent increase in the tax levy as mandated by the state.

“We work cooperatively with the town. We don’t work in a vacuum. We know we can’t go over 4 percent,” said Ms. Riley.

Committee member Karen McDaid asked why the school district wasn’t asking for a budget increase closer to the 4-percent cap.

Mr. DiIuro said the district works with town staff to collectively determine how much funding each side needs and how much additional revenue is available to be split up.

“Our original budget, when added to the town’s budget, would have put the town over the 4 percent cap,” Mr. DiIuro explained in a followup e-mail to The Portsmouth Times. “It’s important to note that the 4 percent cap relates only to the tax levy, not revenues in total. That means there isn't always 4 percent more potential revenue.”

Mr. Shers wasn’t convinced. He said while it was “admirable” that the district was working cooperatively with the town on the budget, the committee’s job is to advocate for students’ education.

“If your income is the same every year … and you’re running 2 percent (increases) with salaries and costs, you eventually run up against a wall,” he said. “I honestly feel the chickens have come home to roost and we’re up against that wall.”

After Committee Vice Chairman Frederick Faerber III made a motion to approve the budget as presented, Mr. Shers sought an amendment to approve the second draft of the spending plan — about $40.03 million. He received no second, however, so the motion died.

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