BURRILLVILLE – The town is spending more than $300,000 annually on transportation for the previously unhoused public school students now living in the cottages at Zambarano Hospital, an unsustainable expense that will lead to district staffing cuts, according to members of the Town Council and School Committee.
In a joint letter sent to Rhode Island Department of Housing Program Development Chief Benjamin Haynie last month, town and school officials requested additional funding for the expense, pointing to “an undue burden on the school department and the taxpayers of the town of Burrillville.”
“For the coming fiscal year, we are anticipating several cuts in staff to address these costs,” notes the document, signed by School Committee Chairperson Terri Lacey, Town Council President Donald Fox, Supt. Michael Sollitto and Town Manager Michael Wood.
The town has received no response, and additional communications to the governor’s office have also gone unanswered, according to Fox.
The letter followed news that Burrillville has been selected for an award of up to $75,000 through the state’s Municipal Homelessness Support Initiative.
“While this is much appreciated, the cost far outweighs this amount,” the letter noted. “Student transportation to districts of origin varies in cost from month to month. However, on average, the cost is approximately $25,000-$30,000 per month.”
The letter notes there are also several high-cost special education students living on the Zambarano campus and attending Burrillville schools.
“While the cost to this is difficult to quantify in an exact number, it should be noted that funding required to address the significant needs of a high-cost special education student typically exceeds $75,000 per student,” the letter states.
Families experiencing homelessness were moved to the shelter in October of 2023 utilizing three ‘cottages’ tucked back on the property to house about 30 people. At the time, state officials said the plan would mark a temporary solution, and that the state would provide reimbursement to the town to address the costs.
Town councilors discussed the issue at their meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 7.
“The council was adamantly opposed to any homeless population being placed at the Zambarano cottages,” said Fox. “We did everything I think we could have done legally to push back on it. Our biggest concern right from the get go was the funding for transportation to move these students.”
State law dictates that funding for transportation to a student’s school of choice is the responsibility of the home district, and with families hailing from Providence and Cranston now living in Burrillville, some have opted to return to their original schools, which are far from town, Fox noted. He said the unbudgeted expense has come to upwards of $40,000 some months.

“It’s unsustainable,” he said.
The cost contributes to concerns in an already tight budget cycle in Burrillville, where more cuts are expected to state aid for education, in part due to declining enrollment numbers. The factors, Fox said, are set to lead the “worst budget we’ve ever seen.”
“It’s not about not wanting to house the kids or offer them schooling,” said Councilor Justin Batalon.
Town Manager Michael Wood said he’s been discussing the issue with the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns, and efforts are underway to craft a joint resolution addressing the problem to be passed by the council and school committee.
I live in the area…they bring their kids to the road off the Hospital Property to smoke and possibly buy drugs…they can have cars, pets and cigarettes….at night in the dark small kids on the edge of the road…I just brought a man to a homeless shelter that he has to leave all day until 7:30 pm and out at 7:am…he’s 71, walking the streets in Woonsocket until he can go in the shelter.the hoops he has to go through to get in line for an affordable apt….There was a fire where he was living for 8 years…no where to afford to go. Thanks red tape…..
Are you implying that because they follow the rules of the facility, and leave the grounds to smoke cigarettes, they could be buying drugs?
This was forced down Burrillville’s throat by the state and a private agency that was supposed to cover the costs and it was a 1 year temporary program. Now it’s 18 months and the town is left holding the bag on costs. It’s state property and a state program so let the state pay for transportation. If the kids want to go to school in Cranston let their parents transport them. They all have cars.
Just close Zambarano which is the most expensive per patient miss managed facility in the US. Move the patients to other more cost effective better patient care facilities. Give Burrillville the small $300k from the millions saved in closing the facility. Problem solved. Don’t care about the over paid union jobs.
Insanity, so let me get this straight, the students, “kids”, can choose to go to their home school or town at the cost of the burrillville taxpayers? AKA me and you?!!? Christ I hope none of them go to school in south county!! I understand the state setting up some housing for the homeless, we all fall on hard times and are all one step or bad decision from relying on something like this as well, I am empathetic in that regard. That being said, in no way shape or form should the town taxpayers be footing any outside financial burden that should fall upon the state, so burrillville taxpayers are basically paying this note twice, once in our state taxes and now a second time with town taxes, great! This keeps up we’ll all be looking for housing at zambarano!!
Do you suspect they aren’t actually kids?
No I think they’re robots, of course I meant kids, children, minors, students, youth, youngsters, people that shouldn’t be able to choose where they go to school at the expense of the town, cmon man
That was unclear since it was in quotes, as if they were kids in name only.
It was suppose to be temporary for 1 year. It should have been available to Burrillville residents not for families to be transported to a school across the state. Almost a year and a half and the still reside there. Obviously, a poorly coordinated program. Why should the taxpayers of this town support people who don’t even live here. Cut the school budget, it is too bloated as it is. Property owners are being killed with taxes, fire taxes and insurance. And now paying for a lawsuit against what the residents don’t want for the artificial turf. Fiscally educate yourself.
The lowest pay in the state doesn’t really equate to a bloated budget