Chariho Bond For New Schools Fails
Voters In Hopkinton Rejected the bond for new school construction during Tuesday’s referendum.
Charlestown voted 829 in favor to 330 against.
Richmond voted 782 in favor to 798 against.
Hopkinton voted 705 in favor to 1278 against.
Total District voters voted 2316 in favor to 2406 against (not all mail ballots are in)
All three towns needed to pass the bond for it to be a success. Because Hopkinton decisively turned down the bond, the bond has failed.
Thank you to everyone in Charlestown who voted!
May 9, 2024 @ 9:15 am
The more I think about, it the more convinced I am that it is a mistake for Charlestown to align itself with Hopkinton and Richmond. Charlestown taxpayers want the very best for their schools and the other two towns are dragging Charlestown down a slippery slope. Charlestown was ready to take the life reft the State offered and like a drowning victim the other two towns pulled Charlestown under.
The State referendum of 2018 that sought funds to issue bonds to improve school facilities was passed by all three towns. So the State is taxing everyone to meet the fiscal requirements of the 2018 bond. In other words, we all are paying taxes to the State to fund that bond referendum. The voters of Hopkinton and Richmond have just sent a message to the State that they are willing to keep being taxed while not wanting the benefit of that taxation. How people were convinced to vote “no” is beyond my understanding, but if someone can explain why people are willing to be taxed for something that they do not want to reap the benefits, I would be willing to listen: but don’t use the overtaxed argument in light of rejecting the State bond money. The “no” voters have just proven that they like to pay for things they don’t want.
All the towns that voted “yes”, thank Chariho for their generosity.
May 9, 2024 @ 1:25 pm
The difference in the 2018 vote and the 2024 vote is that the 2018 question was on a general election ballot when many more people vote. The recent vote on the school bond was a special election. Referendums on bonding should be held in general elections. This vote was held now because the deadline to take the state money was June, but it might have had a different outcome in November. I don’t think you should judge the entire population, in any of the towns, on special election results.
May 8, 2024 @ 2:49 pm
Many Charlestown voters have very high tax bills because of high assessments. Some pay $10K or more per year in taxes. We have a low tax rate, but not everyone has a low tax bill as some commenters have said here and on Facebook. Those who did vote yes appeared to understand that the long and short term fiscal effect of the bond was the most cost effective choice and long term would result in lower taxes than the other choices. The bond has failed, voters decided to forfeit the once in a lifetime injection of support from the state. The remaining menu of choices will cost the same. In my opinion, public schools serve the public good and public funding should go to public education. With or without the bond we should support our public schools.
May 8, 2024 @ 1:40 pm
Very thankful to the Hopkinton voters who rejected this Bond. It’s clear why Charlestown, RI voters wanted this bond; they pay $5.71 per thousand in taxes compared to us Hopkinton residents who pay $14.61 per thousand, and there is an increase coming of another 2.5%. We are the town with the least services, yet pay the most in property taxes! I agree with so many who voted to reject and as said previously, when you need a repair in your home, you do it when it is warranted, not let it go to the point where a complete rebuild is necessary. This is what has happened to these schools and shame on the towns for allowing this to happen throughout the years. The taxpayers should not be penalized by town negligence. Lets do the repairs necessary and go forward.
May 8, 2024 @ 12:34 pm
I’d like to see the demographics of the voting population vs age, kids in school, income, location .. etc. The devil is in the data ….. If students and staff safety are at risk, never mind mundane code violations like electrical, plumbing & HVAC [did I mention asbestos] there comes a time when you have to bite the bullet, never mind the impact on those student’s being left behind by not being able to compete with students from other districts with better facilities [academic as well as sports and other extracurricular activities]. Repairing or remodeling is one thing if you just want to mark time is naive; expanding to fit today’s needs and going forward in the world being able to compete have a good job, etc. To Erik Swift’s reply regarding remodeling, don’t you feel better about yourself when you have a new house with current safety and conveniences around you. Also like continuing to drive a car with out seatbelts, ABS, automatic braking, AC, power windows and airbags, granted not all are so fortunate, but there are programs, organizations, churches, friends and family to reach out to.
May 8, 2024 @ 2:15 pm
Still does not justify knocking these schools down and building new ones. We live in New England…there are literally houses and buildings standing from the 1700’s that are safe to live and work in because they have been maintained. Would you say they should be knocked down too? The fact is the district has neglected many repairs on these schools because they were so confident in this bond being approved.
May 8, 2024 @ 12:06 pm
Considering the majority of students in Chariho are from the other towns, I’m happy they voted on what they thought was best! Richmond also rejected the bond. And Hope Valley is not being decommissioned because it’s not up to code. It’s being decommissioned because enrollment is down, and the district is using it as pre-k, whose students reside in the other towns. Also, no capital improvements have been made to that school since 2019, because the plan was always to phase it out no matter the outcome of this bond vote! Taxpayers have spoken! Knocking those schools down would’ve just been ridiculous, especially in the case of Charlestown and Ashaway. And has anyone thought to ask the actual children who attend these schools how they would’ve felt about going to school in another district (South Kingstown) and seeing their school reduced to rubble? I bet not!!
May 8, 2024 @ 11:46 am
Well, no free ride for Charlestown kids. The idea that 2 communities pay the bill at Chariho is absolutely ridiculous. If Charlestown wants anything in the future for the school district then it’s simple, pay your share and not per student. A few years back Charlestown got the idea to break away and build their own school, right up until the people found out the cost, then of course they ran tails between their legs. The people in Hopkinton are NEVER going to support anything that isn’t equal, so you can go “drink the coolaid” alone.
May 8, 2024 @ 2:43 pm
How many students in Chariho schools live in Charlestown ?
May 8, 2024 @ 2:53 pm
Charlestown 706
Richmond 1106
Hopkinton 1123
Numbers are valid as of October, 2023
You can get that data and more at this very long link https://www.chariho.k12.ri.us/common/pages/DownloadFileByUrl.aspx?key=S6nOu00VmsJpuXAhYDC4DR9E1GC5apejJrZZfGEpqTnRx%2b5esAVIywRt%2fWf9YH02sWp9xHxYut%2b0iHe3AQuwNK6kfHqQ3sRAo57jwtX5lxUvm0uVIKFf2qd7086feLO1MMsw8Oe0oIpUFfdwlwyri9tdvbDXbbFSrYRDztOiJuaJC4ig7tnhqURYFSjGyExUiUPWlL93N5UCThwkT32ZjglQZYnDCZTniK%2bz0V5bL6r8OnpotW%2fXTNRJnATauWRenB0zdg%3d%3d
May 8, 2024 @ 9:52 am
Mr. swift…that has been what has been done for the 90 year existence of Richmond School, but it has become sort of like bailing out a sinking ship. Hope Valley School has reached the point of being out of code and is being shut down. Now we will spend even more repairing our aging school buildings but without this year’s bonus of state funding from the COVID recovery funds.
May 8, 2024 @ 9:49 am
Way to go Hopkinton! The taxpayers who foot the bill have had their voices heard. If your house needs some repairs you don’t go out and tear it down and get into a new mortgage for $500,000 do you? No, you repair what you have, right?
May 8, 2024 @ 7:44 am
A missed opportunity. South Kingston’s passed so Chariho is, I think, the only school district to not avail themselves of it.