PROVIDENCE -- Interviewing to be vice president may be easier for Gov. Gina Raimondo than convincing local school committees to reopen shuttered classrooms this fall.
Even as Raimondo pushed back the start of school to give teachers and administrators more time to prepare for classes during the pandemic, Warwick Public Schools last week pulled the plug on in-person reopening there as teachers’ unions ramped up a push for remote education.
Raimondo said Warwick “threw in the towel” on in-person education, but a major reason school officials there said it is impractical could be a factor in other parts of the state — money.
At the start of the summer, Rhode Island leaders were confident that, by now, a sizable new round of federal COVID-19 aid would be on the way, allowing them to pass a budget without slashing public services while also sending help to cities and towns to fix ventilation in aging buildings and find more buses to transport socially distanced students.
As it stands, Washington has returned to pre-pandemic gridlock and the state is going month-to-month using last year’s budget, and waiting.
“We are extremely concerned with increasing costs related to COVID with no commitment that they are going to be reimbursed,” East Greenwich Town Manager Andrew Nota said Friday.
Nota said East Greenwich has been planning for full in-person school for elementary grades and partial weeks for middle and high school students.
The schools have approved $700,000 in unbudgeted reopening expenses that should cover the next two months, he said. To get through the whole school year with no additional state or federal assistance could result in “major furloughs or a supplemental tax bill” that no local leaders want to stomach.
Warwick school officials said full reopening following Department of Health guidelines (1,000 new box fans, scores of new custodians) would put them between $12 million and $15 million over budget.
Even without school reopening, the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns has been trying to sound the alarm about the state’s decision to slowly parcel out some payments to municipalities.
As of July 31, cities and towns had received $42 million less than they normally would have in “PILOT” payments for tax-exempt properties and $57 million less in car tax reimbursements than expected, according to the League.
The state’s larger cities have felt the brunt of the state’s aid loss, especially Providence, which is $63 million short of what it would have received thus far.
Cranston Mayor Allan Fung says the solution to the cash crunch is for Raimondo or the General Assembly to release another chunk of the $1.25 billion in federal aid it received from the last COVID aid bill.
“The gut punch to Cranston is [state leaders] have neglected dollars to cities and towns, which are already incurring expenses and the fact we were neglected from discussion on use of CARES Act funds was wrong,” Fung, a Republican, said Friday.
(Disclaimer: Fung’s wife, Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung, is running for House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello’s House seat.)
What do mayors say?
Although they’re outspoken about the need for more state and federal aid, Rhode Island’s mayors have been conspicuously quiet about the school reopening debate.
When he was asked about the school’s quick decision to start the year remotely and Raimondo’s subsequent criticism, Warwick Mayor Joseph Solomon said Friday that the city stays out of school policy — budget excluded.
“The City’s involvement with the School Department is limited to funding,” Solomon, a Democrat, wrote in an email. “During these unprecedented times, where there is a great deal of uncertainty, it is my desire not to fight, argue or point fingers, but to work together for the benefit of our students, teachers and staff.”
The race to replace term-limited Fung in Cranston is this year’s highest profile municipal race and Political Scene asked the four candidates who are running for their thoughts on school reopening.
Democrat Steve Stycos: “I would follow the advice of the Centers for Disease Control and the R.I. Department of Health on whether to hold in-school classes. My non-expert hunch is children should not go to in-school classes until COVID-19 is under better control.
“While not ideal, I would consider using some of the city surplus, raising taxes or borrowing to fund in-school classes. Obviously, factors such as the public health situation, the extra money required and interest rates would be important factors in my decision-making process.“
Democrat Maria Bucci: "If the School Committee, Superintendent, the Department of Education, teachers and families decide that it is safe to return to in-person learning — I would support that decision. I understand that it may be appropriate to start with distance learning and return to in-person learning as conditions change. We have until mid-September to decide.
“As for funding, Cranston families are struggling. Raising property taxes is not an option at this time, and we should rely on existing COVID relief funds and continue to ask Congress to create a new federal stimulus program to invest in our schools.”
Republican Ken Hopkins: “I trust the Superintendent and her staff as well as the School Committee to make the right decision. I have a vested interest in that my daughter teaches at Cranston East and my grandson is about to start kindergarten at Garden City. I’m not sure if there is a right or wrong answer but I hope and pray that everyone will be OK. I will support the Superintendent and School Committee to make the right decision.”
Republican Michael Farina: “As a parent with children in the Cranston Public schools, and a wife who works in the classroom, going back to school is a topic of conversation for the Farina family. As I canvas neighborhoods and talk with parents and teachers, I realize that this is a very polarizing topic, and I sense that Cranston is understandably divided on this issue.
“A start date delay of September 14th for in-person classes was a sensible solution from the Governor’s office. There are still so many unanswered questions to make the determination as to whether in-person learning is the best course of action. ... The last thing I would want to do as Mayor is raise taxes or borrow to cover the costs associated with going back to school.“
Budget on hold?
There are so few signs of progress in Washington on another round of stimulus, despite both parties saying they want it, that it’s now likely Rhode Island will not pass a budget by the Sept. 8 primary.
“It would be premature to put a timetable on the budget at this point,” House spokesman Larry Berman wrote in an email. “The leadership of the House and Senate is in close consultation with the Governor.”
Targeting Bell
How much is it worth to Senate leaders to oust outspoken incumbent Sen. Sam Bell in September’s primary? At least $4,000, according to the latest campaign finance reports.
Senate President Dominick Ruggerio has given the annual maximum $1,000 to Bell’s opponent, Jo-Ann Ryan, this year, as has the PAC he controls. Majority Leader Michael McCaffrey gave Providence City Council member Ryan $1,820 combined from his campaign and PAC. And Ruggerio’s chief of staff, Steven Iannazzi, gave Ryan $200.
A longtime manager of the Laborers International Union, Ruggerio has found himself frequently on the receiving end of criticism from the progressive Bell. The R.I. Laborers’ PAC and Laborers’ Public Employee PAC also gave Ryan a combined $1,250.
In addition to Senate leadership, Ryan’s donors include State Director of Administration Brett Smiley ($600), Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea’s PAC ($200), numerous unions and a who’s who of State House lobbyists.
In addition to contributing to loyal incumbent Senate Democrats, Ruggerio also gave $300 each to Cranston mayoral candidate Bucci, Woonsocket Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt and Senate candidate Michael Mita, who is one of four Democrats seeking to replace outgoing Sen. Erin Lynch Prata.
In the House, Mattiello gave $1,000 to cousin Giuseppe Mattiello, who is running for the House seat held by Republican Rep. Robert Quattrocchi.