Superintendent: Kids Deserve All-Day K in NK's Budget

To the editor:

Thank you to all who have attending this week’s public hearing. I appreciate that all, regardless of their opinion, have taken the time to become engaged in this very democratic process of setting a vision for our School Department and Town and prioritizing how we allocate and spend public funds.

In approaching the preliminary vote of the Town Council regarding the 2016 School department budget, it is clear the number approved is approximately $525,000 less than the North Kingstown School Committee had requested. So far the preliminary vote is for an increase of $1,000,000 or approximately 2.2% over our current budget. As Director of Administration, Mary King and I have explained in great detail to our elected officials on several occasions now, an increase of this amount is needed to continue with its current programming—and that includes about $400K in staffing cuts that have already been made by the School Committee.

The remaining $525K, representing another 1% in increased funds, is needed to improve our programming to include a full-day kindergarten experience for all our students. Our administration and School Committee have gone into great detail and even hosted another well-attended public hearing with the Town Council to explain the merits of taking this important step which will undoubtedly and significantly improve our children’s education. It is clear that Governor Raimondo wants this to be mandatory, that the Rhode Island Department of Education and the RI State Legislature value full-day kindergarten so much that they are providing incentives to move the few remaining districts to include it, that 30 of 36 Rhode Island Public School Departments and NK’s local charter schools value this so much that they have already adopted it, and that the North Kingstown School Committee, its superintendent, administration, teachers, and our parents all see the value in making this move and many are here tonight to advocate on its behalf.

If the current budget debate were only about what is good for our kids and for our community, this funding would already have been approved. Instead, the debate, as it always is in budget season, is about how much do we increase local property taxes and how do we prioritize our spending. The Town Council, in its preliminary vote, has for the most part, supported Mr. Embury’s proposal for Town and School Funding. The result, as it stands right now, is that the increase in funds allocated to Town programs totals roughly $1.5 million (over 8% of the Town Budget) and that the School Department would receive $1 million (again, about a 2.2%) increase of the NKSD budget. Mr. Embury has explained that this dramatic increase to Town Funding is needed to address significant concerns that have not been addressed for years. The majority of our Town Council membership understands and respects these needs and is prepared to provide the requested funds, even to the point of increasing taxes by approximately 3.14% overall. However, when a clear and obvious need is presented by the North Kingstown School Committee for long-needed improvements to its services to our children, there is no such respect and understanding.

Instead, the criticism this year seems to follow the lead of Mr. Embury who justifies underfunding the school department with the argument that since 1999 enrollment is down by 16% but the local tax payer to pupil expenses involved in educating our students have increased by almost double in that same period. I am truly discouraged by this approach since Mr. Embury knows that enrollment is only one of several drivers of school and municipal budgets, and many of these drivers are clearly out of local control. In fact, there isn’t a city or town in America that, over the past 16 years, hasn’t seen a dramatic increase in health care costs, pension requirements, and standard inflationary increases. As a frame of reference, the US retail price of a gallon of gas in 1999 was $1.14. Of course, Mr. Embury doesn’t mention in his remarks that the cost of Town functions have increased by even more than the schools over the same period. Since 2000, the School Department budget is up 83%, the Town’s budget is up 96%!

Along with this criticism is the annual critique that school funding is somehow out of control. The reality is that our latest audited figures show that the NKSD per pupil expenditure is well below our state average and is 14th lowest of 36 public school departments. I encourage anyone to research comparative data for NKSD to other RI school departments, and you will find that NKSD compares favorably on all major budget drivers. In just the past few years, we have made controversial decisions regarding outsourcing of custodial work, and, along with our teachers, have recreated our medical benefits package to achieve significant savings. Our budget has been scrutinized in great detail throughout the budget process. I stand by our budgeting decisions and by this budget proposal, and I know that the School Department has presented it responsibly and with the utmost transparency.

Some more recent statistics are more relevant to the current debate. So far, the Town Council has made the preliminary decision to increase taxes by about 3.14% overall, but that translates to about 2.2% increase in school funds and over 8% increase in Town funds. The disparity is glaring! In fact, since 2010, and including this preliminary vote, Town funds will increase by almost 53%, while during the same time frame, the School Department will have increased by just over 9%. 53% to 9%! These numbers have been verified with Mr. Embury himself. Please look it up.

I can’t help but wonder why it is that the NKGOP have followed Mr. Embury’s lead in choosing to vilify the school department in the name of keeping taxes low when it is clear that most of the increase funds are going to Town services? The Town Councils’ preliminary approval increases our taxes, but the great majority of this year’s increase, about 60% of it, is going to the Town, not the schools. The year-after-year false accusations, misleading claims, and conspiracy theories are getting old. It is irresponsible and it is insulting to those of us who have sat through multiple public budget workshops and have respectfully answered every question in an honest and open way.

Over the past six years, even with our relatively modest increases, the North Kingstown School Department has proven to be a strong and improving school community. It is regularly one of Rhode Island’s highest academically performing districts, and has been commended by the Rhode Island Department of Education as one of just six RI school departments to show significant improvements in all tested academic areas for all of the past six years. Our schools have been recognized with Leading, Commended, and even Blue Ribbon status by RIDE and the U.S. Department of Education. Our preschool programming has received the highest Bright Stars ratings. NKSD receives ongoing recognition for its athletics, music, drama, and arts programs, all of which have high rates of student participation and regularly receive local, state, and even national recognition. In fact, this past year NKSD has received special commendation from the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. Our High School has received commendations from U.S. News and World Report, the College Board, and starting in 2015-16 school year, NKHS will include a RIDE recognized career and technical program in Robotics and Engineering. We should all be proud of our school department for the tremendous asset it is to our community. We should understand that it is the primary reason young families want to move to NK in the first place.

I am convinced that anyone who responsibly, respectfully, and openly looks into this request cannot help but see that adding full day kindergarten is the right thing to do for our children and a much needed next step to improve North Kingstown for the better.

-Phil Auger
Superintendent, North Kingstown School District