GLOCESTER – A budget proposed by the Foster-Glocester Regional School District would see no increase in the total amount of funding received from the two sending towns – but Glocester residents would cover a greater share of this year’s burden due to changes in enrollment.
The $33,091,080 fiscal plan for Ponaganset High School and Middle School marks a $822,853 increase from last year’s budget, with added revenue from state aid and tuition to cover the new expenses.
“We did work really hard to ensure that we could minimize the amount that’s coming from the local appropriation,” said Supt. Renee Palazzo during a hearing on the proposal held on Tuesday, March 10.
Palazzo will present the plan at a Financial Town Meeting to be held on Tuesday, March 24 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of Ponaganset High School Auditorium at 137 Anan Wade Road before voters get their chance to weigh in.
The superintendent noted that spending for outside special education services make up the bulk of the spending increase at $553,000.
“The majority of that is due to out-of-district placements,” Palazzo said.
A local allocation of $18,058,039 would remain the same as last year under the district’s plan. But with more students attending from the town, Glocester’s share of the figure would increase, with around $350,000 shifting over from the amount Foster paid last year.
At the hearing, a few in attendance were critical of the format used to lay out the figures, noting the 61-page document was confusing to follow.
“I think greater transparency is really critical,” said Glocester resident Renee Cattell. “There are few residents that actually vote on the school budget which is a sad state of affairs, but the reality is, most people can’t understand this.”
Business Manager Ann Gaudreau noted that the district uses processes laid out by the Rhode Island Department of Education, and Palazzo added that in the future, the district can try to add graphics to make the document easier to understand.
“Our goal is to make this as easy of a process as we can so you can understand where the money is going,” she said.
Some in Glocester advocated for rejection of the budget following the meeting, citing in part an ongoing frustration with leadership.
“Calling it a flat tax doesn’t change the math, it just changes the label,” said Laurie Gaddis Barrett in a release. “Spending is still going up. When basic questions keep going unanswered, people start asking bigger ones. Voting no is how residents make sure those questions and concerns actually get addressed.”
Resident Brian Kelly questioned plans to utilize a $400,000 surplus in the district budget.
“Continued reliance on use of school department fund balance creates a structural deficit and is kicking the financial can down the road,” Kelly said.
In a letter included with the budget, Palazzo noted that the plan aims to protect the district’s core instructional program for students while minimizing the financial burden for communities. Reduction in staff, she said, will make up for rising costs for things such as transportation and healthcare.
“This budget does not expand programming. It does not introduce new initiatives,” Palazzo noted. “Instead, it sustains what we have while aligning expenditures with current revenue realities.”
All qualified voters from both Foster and Glocester are eligible to cast a ballot at the financial town meeting.
of course…my property tax is now bigger than the mortgage….way to go