Double Sessions, Teacher Layoffs Planned For Coventry Schools

COVENTRY, RI — With the future of Coventry Public Schools up in the air, Superintendent Craig Levis said Tuesday that the district has no other option but to make serious across-the-board cuts. The public is invited to a Town Council meeting on Wednesday night, when a new budget will be presented and residents can voice their opinions. During Thursday's school committee meeting, most teachers will be laid off as Levis prepares for the worst.

Levis said the decision to lay off the "overwhelming majority" of teachers was made to allow the district the most flexibility in preparing for the future. By law, the district is required to inform all teachers that they will be laid off before June 1.

"It's possible we won't have a set budget until the end of June, and we can't wait that long," Levis said. "We cannot function on a level-funded budget, so we are planning for the catastrophic."

If the school district's budget remains the same next year, Levis said, the biggest change will be to Coventry High School, which will cut all unnecessary electives and begin running double sessions. Under this "draconian " model, the student body would be split into two half-day sessions, where students only attend core required classes and the number of teachers is drastically reduced. At this point, Levis said, the district is still working out how this new schedule would work, but he said it would certainly be to the students' detriment.

"It's a bare-bones schedule that I don't think has been used in this state since the 1970s," Levis said, adding that students would most likely not even get lunch if the system is put into place.

Because of the hierarchy of certifications and seniority, laid-off high school teachers could have the chance to bump less senior elementary- or middle-school teachers, causing a ripple effect across the district.

"Teachers are our greatest resource," Levis said. "This isn't what we want to do. It's about survival."

Along with massive teacher layoffs, several administrative and safety roles will remain unfilled, and all middle-school sports and the majority of after-school activities will be eliminated.

Levis said he is "devastated" that Coventry residents chose not to approve the budget, as the district has worked hard to keep it as fiscally responsible as possible while continuing to provide a high level of education to students.

"I can't believe that the community would want this," Levis said. "They're willing to destroy the future of our youth."

On Wednesday, the Town Council will propose a new budget at a public meeting that the public is invited to attend. At the meeting, the council will allow public comment before the council makes a final recommendation. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in the Town Council Annex building at 1675 Flat River Rd.

The next day, the layoffs will be announced at the Coventry School Committee meeting. By laying off the majority of teachers, Levis said, the district will have the flexibility to take drastic measures if needed, though he hopes to recall nearly as many as possible once a final budget has been approved.

"A lot of people are saying this is just a scare tactic, but it's not," Levis said. "We're preparing for the worst."

In the meantime, Coventry residents are asked to fill out an online survey to better gauge the public's opinion on the 2020 budget.

Amid the ongoing uncertainty, Alan Shawn Feinstein Middle School of Coventry announced Tuesday that Wednesday's elementary school "step-up" night has been canceled. The annual rite of passage allows incoming sixth graders and their parents to tour the school and ask questions in the hope of quelling some anxiety of transitioning from elementary to middle school. ASFMS Principal Joseph Lucian said the event will be rescheduled before the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year, though no new date has been set at this time.

"While we understand the impact this may have on your children, please know that we are committed to doing everything possible to give your children the best educational experience we can, despite the uncertainty our community is facing," Lucian said in a message posted to the school's Facebook account. "We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause."