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Council, School Committee have frank budget meeting
By Mark N. Schieldrop/Independent Staff Writer
NARRAGANSETT — The town is staring down a $1.2 million hole as it begins planning next year’s budget.
The shortfall reflects continued decreases in state aid and the expected elimination of motor vehicle excise tax reimbursements next year.
During a work session Monday night, the Town Council and School Committee had no answers on how to put together a balanced budget this year. Instead, with an unspoken understanding that the town will have to make more cuts, town officials said they couldn’t find solutions until they get clearer state aid figures.
“Until we get firm numbers, I’m not sure if we should talk about it too much,” said Town Council President David Crook. “It’s too early to do anything definite until we get numbers from the state, but I see nothing but doom and gloom around the town.”
Finance Director Robert Uyttebroek said that a budget report he issued in December is relatively unchanged, with the town expected to see flat revenues and $1.1 million in additional expenses. The town is being squeezed by a drop in the collection rate, which is expected to be near 96 percent, down 3 percent from the 99 percent rate that held steady for years. That accounts for about $700,000 in lost revenue.
The Town Council used the opportunity to push Superintendent Katherine E. Sipala to ask the teachers union for salary deferments and other concessions. The district expects about $790,000 in staffing cost increases alone next year, some of which will come from contractual raises.
“The main driver of the budget is salary,” said Councilwoman Glenna Hagopian, who suggested a discussion be started early to end what she described as a staring contest among the town, the district and the unions.
“Everyone is looking at each other to see who moves first,” Hagopian said.
Sipala noted that the district is no longer capable of absorbing cuts as it did in the past when enrollment was declining, and she said further reductions would begin to hurt programming. After-school programs to help students meet new graduation-by-proficiency requirements, robotics, the yearbook, the foreign language program and advanced instruction for bright students might have to be eliminated.
“In Narragansett, we’ve come to expect those things,” Sipala said.
Meanwhile the enrollment slide has stopped, leaving the district little wiggle room in terms of class sizes and placements. There might be savings at the elementary school by cutting a fourth-grade classroom. But that would bring class sizes to the contractual maximum of 25, and just one new student entering the district would wipe out the savings, Sipala said.
Sipala conceded that Narragansett did not convince Jamestown to enter a contract that would bring Jamestown High School students to Narragansett High School. Jamestown was worried about the town’s budget leading to the elimination of high level courses, she said.
“We’re looked at as an attractive school system, much more so than a few years ago,” the superintendent said. “To change programs is not my recommendation now at a point where we’re delivering a high-quality product.”
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