Immediately following Governor Carcieri’s budget address last week, Mayor Scott Avedisian of Warwick and Mayor A. Ralph Mollis of North Providence joined me in responding to the Governor’s plans to slash education funding, placing a greater burden on cities and, ultimately, on our taxpayers.

As chief executives of our respective cities and towns, we fully appreciate the challenge our Governor faces in managing state government and in creating a fair, thoughtful and responsible budget.  It is because we deal with these issues every day, that we understand the difficult job he has to do, and voice our strong disagreement with this budget. Our collective priority must be providing quality, public education to our youth, and the state assuming its rightful responsibility. 

However, at a time when other states are increasing their share of aid to education to ease the pressure on resident property taxpayers, the Governor’s Budget proposes that we head in the opposite direction, cutting the state’s share of education costs. Without question, the Governor’s budget has set the wrong priorities for our state.

A year ago, the State of Rhode Island was working towards a 60/40 funding ratio for public education – with the State assuming the larger fiscal responsibility. The Governor’s budget proposal, however, would slash state funding of public education by $8 million in the new fiscal year, a burden municipalities cannot support. As municipal leaders, we are dependent upon an unpredictable and unfair State formula that keeps us guessing year-to-year on what aid is being distributed, and scrambling for resources.

We are not alone in our assessment. The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) recently published statistics that list Rhode Island as 43^rd in the nation for the amount of money the State contributes to support local communities. In fact, local property taxpayers contribute nearly 60% of the State’s public school spending. Relying on municipal property taxes to fund the majority of school costs builds in inequities, making it difficult to ensure all taxpayers are treated fairly.

RIPEC predicted accurately that the municipal contribution would grow this year, while the State’s share of public education drops again.  In fact, with a 38.3% state share, this is the lowest level of support since a decade ago (1994).

Additionally, urban schools face challenges the rest of the State does not – more than ½ of the net growth in enrollment has taken place in the urban core, where poverty, language support and special education needs are the greatest.  

According to the RIPEC report: “flaws in the State’s education financing system call for fundamental reform… the State must include mechanisms that reflect the needs of students.”

I will continue to meet with Mayors Mollis and Avedisian, and with other mayors and town administrators to discuss ways in which we can work with the Rhode Island General Assembly and Governor, to find ways to create a fair and equitable funding formula for education.

Guaranteeing that the children of our state have a quality public education is our most important responsibility.  Our future depends on this.  Without good schools, we will not achieve real economic development, strong neighborhoods and a prosperous city. DNC