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By ANDREW MARTIN
The State House of Representative Finance Committee met on May 6 to hear testimonies both for and against a $17.8 million construction and repair bond, House Bill 8227, for the Chariho Regional School District.
State Representatives Joseph H. Scott (District 39, Charlestown, Exeter, Richmond) and Donna M. Walsh (District 36, Charlestown, New Shoreham, South Kingstown, Westerly) first introduced the bill on April 30, but the House voted to have the Finance Committee hear the matter first. Walsh did not attend the committee meeting.
Scott referred to the urgency of passing this issue to the House of Representatives for their consideration, citing Gov. Donald L. Carcieri’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2009. If that budget passes, then the reimbursement rate for regional education aid will drop from 56 percent to 30 percent.
“I think it’s important Chariho and the three towns make positive moves to take advantage of the current rate,” Scott said. Charlestown and Richmond have both voted to support the bond. The only dissenting town is Hopkinton, which voted 4-1 last month to not support the bond. In spite of that fact, he added, the House should let the voters in the three towns get the chance to vote “given the urgency of the circumstances.”
Supt. Barry J. Ricci also stressed the timeliness of the receiving the money sooner rather than later. The change in the reimbursement rate would account for a loss of $10 million to taxpayers in the three towns, he said.
“While the adults disagree and argue, the schools fall further into disrepair,” Ricci said. Echoing those statements was School Committee Chairman William Day. “The students in Chariho need these upgrades,” he said.
Also asking for the committee’s support were School Committee member Andrew McQuaide, Charlestown Town Council President John O. Craig Jr., and Chariho Regional High School Principal Robert Mitchell.
“I am ashamed to walk into some of the school buildings because the kids are performing at the top without the facilities held to the same standards,” Craig said.
Mitchell explained that the high school, which was built in 1960, was made for the 600 students there at the time, not the 1,250 children there now. “We feel helpless because we’re at the mercy of a more political reason,” he said.
The reason in question was outlined by Hopkinton council President Vincenzo Cordone. The fact that the schools need work is not up for debate, he said, but it was the majority of the council’s belief that there should be tax equalization among the three towns. Without a more balanced tax-rate, he said bonds will continue to fail in his town.
Cordone said, “I think the towns have some things to work out,” referring to whether the towns eventually decide to break up the district or come to a compromise, Cordone added.
Hopkinton resident Scott B. Hirst also testified against passing the bond. He said the most important and noble action to take would be to first reduce the district’s financial problems. Although no vote was taken, it was the opinion of committee Vice Chairman If the committee votes to approve the bond, then it will head to the state House of Representative. The House will then vote on the bill that would allow Chariho voters to have the final say on the bond.
Some bond history
The $17.8 million bond is one of three that Chariho is pushing to have placed on a ballot. That money would go towards repairs at the Chariho Regional High School and the Switch Road Campus.
The other two bonds, $4.4 million and $2.7 million, would provide funding for work at the Reaching Youth through Support and Education (RYSE) School and the Chariho Middle School, respectively. Those two bonds were not discussed at the hearing, but they should be ready by the end of the week, according to Rep. Scott.
The towns in the district would each cover one-third of the costs. This is a change from the original plan that was rejected by Hopkinton voters in November 2007, because there are three separate bond initiatives. The costs and plans have also changed because some of the work was moved into the fiscal year 2009 budget.
The School Committee voted 9-1, William Felkner against, on April 8 to submit the legislation for the three bonds. The request for submittal was then sent to legislators on April 11, according to Ricci.
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