The state government is increasing the amount of aid it will send to public schools next year, but Barrington schools will not be receiving any additional state funding.

Barrington Schools Finance Director Doug Fiore said the governor’s proposed budget shows a $42.7 million increase in state aid to public schools. 

Fiore said that when he saw the overall increase he expected Barrington Schools would be getting more state money, but he then learned that the local district — largely considered the best public school department in Rhode Island — would actually be receiving less state aid. 

Fiore said the governor’s proposed budget shows a $500,000 drop in state aid to Barrington Schools, decreasing from $11.6 million it received for the current year to $11.1 million next year.

“I reached out to RIDE,” Fiore said, referring to the Rhode Island Department of Education. 

Fiore said state education officials explained the proposed decrease in aid to Barrington. He said the funding formula is measured, in part, on community’s median income and property values. In Barrington, the median income rose, as did property values. When median income and property values go up, state aid goes down, Fiore said, adding that the funding formula uses information from actual property sales. 

Fiore shared the bad news with members of the Barrington School Committee during a meeting last week. He warned committee members that this year was going to be more challenging budget-wise than previous years. 

During a recent interview, Fiore confirmed the expected drop in state aid. He said the half-million-dollar decrease will negatively impact the district’s flexibility to address fiscal issues throughout the school year. For example, officials may not be able to add personnel, such as a school social worker, if one is needed during the year. 

Committee members have already informed Fiore that they would like to see a proposed school budget increase that is not right at the cap. Fiore expects the proposed budget will be shared with school committee members soon.

Barrington officials recently voiced their concerns about the decrease in state aid to schools when they met with local legislators. They are hoping Barrington’s representatives and senator will be able to discuss the issue at the state level. 

Fiore added that in previous years, state officials have made an effort to “hold harmless” school districts when it comes to state funding — while districts may not always see an increase in aid, they rarely experience a decrease in state funding. 

Coinciding with the drop in state aid to schools is an expected tax increase resulting in part from the $250 million school construction bond. According to information provided by the Barrington Budget Forecasting Committee, the town’s debt service payments are expected to increase from about $5 million this year to more than $10 million in 2029. The debt service payment for the school construction bond will remain on the books for the next 30 years. 

Strength in numbers

During the recent school committee meeting, officials discussed the drop in state aid. Officials said Barrington is not the only district that is expected to see less state aid to schools — East Greenwich was mentioned. 

Barrington School Committee member Frazier Bell made a motion to send out a communication to other school districts across Rhode Island that are expecting less state aid in an effort to coordinate a message to state officials. The motion passed unanimously.