To the editor:

This past year has been a difficult one for the Bristol Warren School District and the surrounding community. While the signatories of this letter may not stand on the same side of all the issues, there is one thing we can agree on. Our schools must be fully funded in order for all of our students to thrive, whether they are in need of support or enrichment programs, college readiness or vocational pathways preparation.

For this reason we are coming together to request that you fully fund Dr. Ana Riley’s budget at the overall 2.5 percent increase she has requested. Additionally, we are calling on you to make fully funding our schools a priority every year, moving us up from the bottom third to the top half in local school funding in RI.

We truly believe that parents, grandparents and educators are not the only Bristol Warren residents who want you to invest in our Bristol Warren schools. We have made an effort to seek out signatures from these other community members, and we hope you will recognize the significance of their willingness to come forward.

We must give our young people the tools they need to become the skilled and hardworking laborers, brave first responders, innovative thinkers, visionary artists, respected leaders, compassionate community members, and peaceful problem solvers Bristol Warren (and the world) will require. Education is an investment, not an expense. Thank you for being there for our youth, our educators, and the communities of Bristol and Warren.

With our children in mind,

Sheila Dobbyn, 15 Cottage St., Warren
Sara Medeiros, 15 Third St., Warren
Shannon Rozea, 19 Sunnyside Ave., Bristol

Including the names listed, 81 community members from Bristol and Warren signed onto this correspondence sent to the Bristol Warren Regional School District Joint Finance Committee.