School Committee Adopts Budget, Cuts Hope Valley Kindergarten

By Cynthia Drummond for BRVCA

WOOD RIVER JUNCTION – With five members opposed, a seven-member majority of the Chariho School Committee voted at Tuesday’s meeting to adopt the Fiscal Year 2024-25 budget. The period for amendments has now ended, and the next step will be to present it to voters.

After the drama generated by both the possible closing of Hope Valley Elementary School and the proposed school construction bond, the three-and-a-half hour meeting, which took place in the high school library, remained civil. As a small group of residents watched, with a few offering their comments, committee members discussed ways they could make further cuts to the budget and relieve the burden on taxpayers in the three towns.

During this final opportunity to make revisions, some items, such as the $434,000 that the committee had restored to Hope Valley School at a previous meeting, were cut from the spending plan. The final budget total, before state aid, is $58,341,117.

The most significant new budget reduction, and the first step in the district’s plan to phase out Hope Valley School, is the elimination of next year’s kindergarten at the school, which will save the district $434,834.

“There will be no kindergarteners enrolled at Hope Valley next year,” Committee President Catherine Giusti said. “…I think that it was important to listen to the recommendation of the Superintendent, and she wanted us to start with phasing out kindergarten first.”

Other Changes

The committee approved the reduction of the district’s fund balance, or surplus, by $152,000, from 2.5% to 2%, leaving a surplus of $1.2 million. One school bus will also be cut, saving $80,000.

Charlestown member Andrew McQuaide proposed the fund balance reduction.

“In this instance, while I don’t believe ultimately long term it’s an advisable strategy, I would be open to reducing the fund balance and just wanted to have this conversation and hear where folks are at,” he said.

The committee also approved three additions to the budget, a total of $330,000: A teacher for children in the care of the Rhode Island Department of Children Youth and Families, or DCYF, at $75,000, a 2.5%, or $165,000 increase in employee healthcare costs, and one preschool teacher, at $90,000 including benefits.

“If a child is under the care of DCYF, then we need to be able to provide education for them, and it doesn’t always mean they’re staying in Chariho for education,” Giusti explained.

The increase in health care will offset cuts made to the current budget which were later determined to be too deep.

“That’s to offset the losses that we’re anticipating this year because were too severe in our cuts to that budgetary item last year,” Giusti said.

The additional preschool teacher’s assignment is still to be determined.

“It depends on what the enrollment looks like for preschool,” she said.

Tough Choices

As Chariho prepares to submit the proposed budget to voters in a referendum on April 9, residents will also decide whether to support a proposed bond that would authorize the district to borrow up to $150 million to build three new elementary schools to replace the four aging buildings currently in use. That referendum will take place on May 7.

However, there will be big changes in the district regardless of whether voters approve the proposed budget or the bond. Richmond member Jessica Purcell acknowledged the difficult decision to phase out Hope Valley School.

“I just want to say it’s difficult to consider this,” she said. “I understand why it’s on the table and I think it is a strategic and targeted move, considering where we need to go as far as consolidation and having four schools across three towns is proven to not be sustainable, but I do want to acknowledge that it is a difficult discussion and I appreciate the feedback from folks on how they’re feeling.”

Hopkinton member Tyler Champlin said he had held back on expressing his opinion on closing the school, but he felt it was time to publicly state his position.

“I think there’s some confusion amongst, maybe it’s just Hopkinton voters to be 100% honest with you, what I’m hearing, people are saying ‘well, how do we keep Hope Valley open?’ or, ‘if we approve the budget, we keep Hope Valley open.’ Well, no. We’re kind of at that point where we’re between the proverbial rock and a hard place where, if we approve this budget as is, with this cut, Hope Valley K is gone, which is putting us on a path to remove Hope Valley completely, 100%, in the future. While I don’t think that is a wrong path, and the most fiscally responsible path, it’s hard to swallow for a lot of folks.”

Champlin also noted that rejecting the budget would only hasten the complete closure of Hope Valley School.

“Now, you’re just shooting yourself further in the foot, because, if we reject the budget, we’re heading down a path to level funding, which means Hope Valley closes totally next year.”

Superintendent of Schools Gina Picard reminded the committee that Hope Valley School had been considered for closure since the 1990s, and that in preparing the budget, she had tried to impact the fewest students. Up to 36 children will have to enter kindergarten in other Chariho schools in the fall.

“I do think that it’s a better plan to phase out K, so everyone has a chance to sort of digest this and move slowly to a plan,” she said.

Picard added that she could not make any decisions on kindergarten enrollment until she had a decision from the School Committee.

“In the end, I can’t create a plan without a commitment and a decision from the School Committee,” she said. “So, at your pleasure, you have to tell me what to do.”

Giusti said she was concerned that some residents continued to believe that a way would be found to save Hope Valley School.

“There seem to be people who think there’s a magic bullet to keep Hope Valley open forever, and there just is not,” she said. “That is the reality and it’s an unfortunate reality. …We’re trying to do it in a mindful way.”

A few parents expressed sadness and frustration that their children would be attending other Chariho schools, but one woman, describing herself as a teacher at Richmond Elementary School, offered some encouragement.

“As much as I don’t want Hope Valley to phase out, it just doesn’t make sense to add that money back,” she said. “…Phasing Hope Valley out completely, I know that it’s emotional. I will take care of your kids if they come to Richmond.”

Building Committee

Three members from the School Committee, one from each town, will serve on the Building Committee, which is required by the state as part of the school building process. They will work under the guidance of a state-appointed project manager and an architect. Craig Louzon, of Charlestown, will serve with Tyler Champlin of Hopkinton and Karen Reynolds, from Richmond. The towns will each name one additional representative.

Fiscal Reality

Giusti said the day after the meeting that she would like residents to understand that even if they reject the bond, Hope Valley School is slated for closure.

“I am concerned that people are not going to understand the fiscal reality of voting against the bond,” she said. “I think now that the budget is done, I’m hopeful that we can have more targeted bond conversations so that people understand it a little bit better.”