South Kingstown Election Day 2023: Voters Deciding Whether To Cut School Budget

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RI — South Kingstown residents are heading to the polls Tuesday in a referendum election to decide whether to approve the public school district's 2023 budget or cut it.

The referendum, organized by resident Dorald Beasley, calls for reducing the town's property tax transfer to the school budget by $1.5 million. Beasley and others supporting the referendum say it will benefit taxpayers.

"It’s high time our elected leaders stop treating taxpayers like so many cash cows," Beasley wrote in an op-ed on Patch. "If the town council and school committee would work together and craft a plan to get our student-to-FTE (full-time educator) ratio to 7.0:1 by the day the new SKHS (South Kingstown High School) on School Street opens its doors, the accrued savings would offset most if not all of the projected tax rate increases from our $125 million bonded debt. That’s a win-win in my book and would make this the first and last referendum you’ll see."

But school officials say reducing the budget will have consequences for students, including eliminating fall high school sports, elementary school music programs and teachers and coaches getting laid off.

"The referendum will reduce household taxes between 22 and 23 cents," Superintendent Mark Prince told The Independent. "What’s the collective value of 22 or 23 cents? It is 22 employees."

Polls are open until 8 p.m. at the South Kingstown Recreation Center.