Budget Adopted, Policy Tabled at Marathon Meeting
By Cynthia Drummond for BRVCA
March 12th 2025
RICHMOND – Tuesday’s Chariho School Committee meeting lasted nearly five hours – and it was even longer for the committee members who attended the executive session at 5:30. When it ended, the committee had adopted the Fiscal Year 2026 budget and had heard from the community about how residents feel about possible changes to some of the school district’s policies.
Public Forum
Many people had signed up to speak during the public forum, and several of them recounted their personal stories.
One of them was Spencer Baton.
“I’m a 31-year-old transgender resident of Richmond, and a former Chariho student,” he said, his voice quivering with nerves and emotion. “When I was a student here, I didn’t understand the idea that I was transgender. I just knew that being myself made me a target. … I’m here tonight, because this committee might consider weakening Title IX, the non-discrimination and anti-harassment policy. Groups like Moms for Liberty are targeting these protections under the guise of protecting students. But who is truly being protected? It certainly isn’t the students who need these policies the most.”
Baton received loud applause from the crowd in the middle school auditorium.
Richmond committee member Jessica Purcell said she had been moved by many of the comments.
“I’ve never seen a School Committee meeting like that before,” she said Wednesday. “I was surprised by the turnout; I was surprised by the depth of personal stories that people shared. …Spencer, I think that was the second person, I was in tears hearing about how he was bullied at school.”
State Rep. Megan Cotter had a message of reassurance for students who might be watching the meeting at home.
“This committee’s going to do what they want to do, so this message is for children like Spencer,” she said. “To all the trans, non-binary kids, kids who feel different, kids who are bullied, kids who eat lunch alone, who are watching this at home right now, you are seen, you are valued, and you are not alone. No policy can erase who you are or take away your right to exist as your true, authentic self. No matter what happens in this room tonight, there are so many of us that love you, see you and are fighting for you.”
it was clear that most of the people attending the meeting wanted the policies to remain as they are.
“You have made children afraid,” said Former School Committee Chair Catherine Giusti. “I cannot believe that is your goal, but if that was your goal, you have accomplished it.”
Chariho students, Giusti said, are not concerned about such as who uses which school rest room.
“There have been no assaults perpetrated in Chariho bathrooms by transgender students. Zero,” she said. “But there were, by boys, so maybe start the conversation with boys.”
Robert Chiaradio, a vocal opponent of the Rhode Island Department of Education’s transgender policy, was one of three people expressing support for the Chariho policy amendments. Chiaradio was heckled several times by members of the audience.
Committee Chair Louise Dinsmore said Wednesday that she had been shocked that Chiaradio had been heckled. Noting that she was speaking for herself and not on behalf of the School Committee, Dinsmore sent a written statement, which she requested we post in its entirety.
“As School Committee Chair, it is my responsibility to ensure that School Committee members and the public are heard and that members are strong examples of respectful decorum. We must set the tone for civil discourse, listen and be respectful of everyone’s views.”
“I was encouraged to see so many Chariho and non-Chariho residents exercise their fundamental right to free speech. Personally, I listened to every single comment made throughout the evening and gave each speaker my attention and respect. However, when Mr. Robert Chiaradio, who represented a dissenting voice, came to speak, it was disheartening to witness the vitriol displayed toward him. Long gone are the days where we can listen to one another and agree to disagree. It is such a sad commentary on where we are as a society and as a community.”
“It was extremely hard to hear on stage and there were many moving parts to our meeting. This morning, someone from the public sent me a video where one of the School Committee members, while attempting to settle down the crowd, used a poor choice of words which could be viewed as inciting harm to Mr. Chiaradio. Moreover, the level of disrespect displayed toward Mr. Chiaradio by the public is unacceptable and what appears to be a verbal threat made by a School Committee member should not be tolerated. We must choose our words carefully and public discourse must go hand in hand with public safety and security.”
Dinsmore concluded,
“At the end of the day, I have a personal responsibility to make decisions that are in the best interests of Chariho students, educators and staff. There were multiple agenda items including making final decisions on the FY26 Budget to present a fiscally responsible budget to the voters of Charlestown, Richmond and Hopkinton. As Chair, I support this budget and will continue to promote academic excellence, strong academic outcomes and accountability.”
Chiaradio posted a photo Wednesday of School Committee member Craig Louzon on social media, with the following caption:
“This is Chariho (RI) SC member Craig Louzon telling people in the crowd to confront me outside and disagree with me. No one on the committee called him out. This is what I and others deal with. Of course, he wouldn’t have the balls to confront me himself.”
A Move to Table
Two-and-a-half hours into the meeting, with the budget discussion still to come, Hopkinton committee member Tyler Champlin asked his fellow members to consider tabling the policy and transportation resolution discussions.
“With the need for us to have to adopt the budget tonight, per the Chariho Act, I would like to table Item B and Item E to the following meeting,” he said.
Dinsmore read the agenda items.
“The policy items are: transportation policy, policy for face masks and face coverings – COVID-19, the automated call-out system, videography, photography and audio recording policy, library media policy, Title IX non-discrimination/anti-harassment policy and grievance procedure, gender non-conforming and transgender students,” she stated.
After further discussion, Champlin withdrew his motion.
The committee, in the end, agreed to drop the agenda items pertaining to Title IX, gender non-conforming and transgender students.
The transportation, library media, face masks, automated call-out system and videography policies will be discussed at a future meeting.
The Budget
At a February budget workshop, the School Committee voted to close Hope Valley Elementary School and move students to the district’s three remaining elementary schools. The closure will trim $875,000 from the budget.
The committee, on Tuesday, approved an additional reduction, $4,700 to the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) for accreditation, a payment which will be postponed.
The motion, made by Dinsmore, was approved.
Purcell’s motion to restore $85,000 to the budget for a school bus was defeated.
“It’s not removing the bus at Hope Valley [school] so we can have enough buses to transport all the children across the district, especially at a time of high need and transition,” she said.
The committee adopted the budget that includes the $875,000 cut resulting from the closing of Hope Valley School and the $4,700 for NEASC accreditation. The total budget increase over the current spending plan is .67%.
Purcell listed the changes in each of the Chariho towns’ contributions.
“Charlestown is -1.02%, Richmond is 1.61 and Hopkinton is 1.07,” she said.
Reached Wednesday, Superintendent of Schools Gina PIcard said she was frustrated that the agenda, and the meeting, had been so long.
“I asked that we only focus on the budget as we prepare for the transition,” she said, referring to the closing of Hope Valley School. “This agenda didn’t represent the values and hard work of the School Committee.”
The budget referendum is on April 8.
