Newport This Week

Door is Open to More If Regionalization Passes



Regionalization

The possible regionalization of Middletown and Newport schools has attracted interest from other communities that might want to jump on board somewhere down the line.

Middletown Town Council President Paul Rodrigues said that Portsmouth has expressed interest in the possibilities of expanding the merger. That information, confirmed to Newport This Week by two other sources was part of a 75-minute presentation offered by Middletown and Newport officials prior to the Middletown Town Council meeting on Oct. 17.

Other factors discussed regarding the capacity of the new schools will also take into account that families who currently have children in private schools may consider enrolling them in the new public schools, and that special education students would maintain their current programs. A future reconstruction of Thompson Middle School in Newport was also discussed.

Also understood, but not openly expressed, is that Middletown would not see a dime in reimbursement for some $90 million spent for new schools if regionalization does not pass.

“This is the hottest topic Middletown and Newport have ever seen,” said Middletown Town Council President Paul Rodrigues. “The greatest tax savings ever. We are getting the real facts out, so the voters of Middletown and Newport can make an informed decision on Nov. 8.”

At the meeting, Rodrigues set up a slide show for about 30 people, including Newport Mayor Jeanne-Marie Napolitano, Middletown Supt. Rosemarie Kraeger and nearly the entire Middletown School Committee.

“Newport came to us when they needed to build a new Rogers High three or four years ago. It was an emotional night, and it didn’t go well,” said Rodrigues. “Things came out and we are sorry for what was said. We need to move forward, and I apologized a halfdozen times.”

Rodrigues said that Newport is ahead of Middletown in school infrastructure, with its loan in place, the addition to Pell Elementary School completed and ground broken on a new high school.

As Middletown explored its own building options, with price tags of $90 to $190 million proposed, the Rhode Island Department of Education rejected their plan because the requirements for at least a 50 percent reimbursement could not be met.

“I called [Mayor Napolitano], some thought I was crazy,” Rodrigues said. “I met with [Middletown town administrator] Shawn Brown and RIDE, and thought we could get 80.5 percent reimbursement. ‘It’s not too late,’ RIDE said.”

Both communities would only have to pay 19.5 cents “on the dollar,” Rodrigues said, but all three referendum elements have to pass; regionalization approval by voters in each town and the Middletown school bond proposal.

“If one [community] passes and the other doesn’t, it is dead in the water,” said Rodrigues.

The state has said that Middletown must have a contractor in place by Dec. 30, 2023 in order to receive the reimbursements, with required completion exactly five years later, Rodrigues said.

“To build two new schools for the cost of one, we had to move pretty quickly. People have criticized us for that,” he said.

“That’s all well and good, but it still leaves the taxpayers of Middletown with a $48 million payment,” countered former councilor Antone Viveiros.

Councilor Tom Welch, who also served on the building committee, said the group went “round and round and round because there is so much that needs to be fixed for each building.”

“We want to improve the educational system, not just fix toilets,” he said. “We have to engage a contractor by 2023 and the designs aren’t even [done] yet. Time is tight.”

In the future, Middletown would probably need a new bond for a similar amount of money to replace its two elementary schools said Welch.

“Do we want to pay the same amount and get one school, or do we want to spend the money and get three new schools?” asked Rodrigues. “The total plan will cost $235 million. With interest, $400 million over 20 years. The state will pick up $322 million of the $400 million, if we regionalize. Think about that.”

If passed, the town will demolish Gaudet Middle School and the high school, and use the surrounding athletic fields to build an elementary school that would house pre-kindergarten for both communities. Children from Forest Avenue and Aquidneck Elementary would attend the school.

“Not one child would be displaced during construction, which is unusual,” said Rodrigues.

As for busing, the state will pick up half the transportation costs from year one, he said, which currently comes to $2.5 million. “Middletown would pick up $1.25 million right away,” he said.

“All in, $79 million for Middletown residents [to pay], while the state picks up $322 million,” Rodrigues said. “Newport would save $46 million on its current ventures.”

“This is not magic money,” Welch said. “This is our money, [from] federal taxes and the state taxes we pay. I think it is time we use it here.”

Napolitano emphasized that, in Newport, a coterie of teachers, staffers, students and others will serve on a transitional advisory committee.

And what is the impact to the teachers already in place? If they are employed as of June 30, 2024, they will be offered the same or a substantially similar position and receive full credit for the period of employment for purposes of seniority, pensions, etc. They may also enter future negotiations with a regional school committee that would be formed to govern the merger.

Currently, approved contracts will be maintained until the expiration date or renegotiated by a regional school committee.

The public is invited to a similar discussion on Monday, Oct. 24, at 6:30 p.m. at CCRI, and a discussion of academic advantages of regionalization with Newport and Middletown School Committees at Oliphant School on Thursday, Oct. 27.

Regionalization forum

Monday, Oct. 24, at 6:30 p.m.

at CCRI, and a discussion of the academic advantages by the Middletown and Newport School

Committees at Oliphant

School, on Thursday, Oct. 27.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.