Chariho Budget Workshops Begin
By Cynthia Drummond for BRVCA
January 30th 2025
WOOD RIVER JCT. – Work on the Fiscal Year 2026 Chariho Regional School District budget continued Tuesday with a public workshop.
School Committee members were briefed on how anticipated state and local aid would impact the three towns’ contributions.
While the $69.7 million proposed budget, an increase of 5.10%, is expected to be further reduced as the process continues, the final workshop is on Feb. 11.
Anticipated state aid, based on the Governor’s proposed budget, which was presented on Jan. 14, is $15,304,248. Tuitions at Chariho Tech also represent significant revenue, at $3,024,880.
Contributions of the three towns, determined by the number students from each town enrolled in the school district, will be: Charlestown, $12.6 million, a .60% increase, Richmond, $16.3 million, a 3.7% increase and Hopkinton: $16.1 million, a 3.2% increase.
Critics of the district have described Chariho’s per pupil costs as too high. They have also said students’ standardized test results are poor.
Superintendent of Schools Gina Picard countered the charges of a bloated budget and low student performance with figures showing Chariho among the top school districts in Rhode Island.
“Chariho takes great pride in being recognized by RIDE [Rhode Island Department of Education] and the RI League of Cities and Towns Conference as a district that consistently achieves strong assessment results while maintaining fiscal responsibility and a high return on investment,” she said. “Our commitment to excellence is reflected in thoughtful financial planning that maximizes resources while ensuring student success.”
Picard included a graphic in her budget presentation, which, she said, more accurately reflects Chariho’s position among the top-performing schools.
“Notably, only eight high schools out of 55 in Rhode Island ranked in the top 10 in Math, ELA, and Science—Chariho High School is one of them. This distinction speaks to the dedication of our educators and the hard work of our students,” she stated.
Per Pupil Cost
The most recent (2023) per-pupil cost data, published by RIDE, show the per pupil cost in the Chariho School District was $22,032.
Several districts spent more than Chariho per pupil, among them, South Kingstown: $26,354, Westerly: $28,318, Narragansett: $28,549, and Warwick: $28,318.
School Committee Chair Louise Dinsmore declined to comment on the latest budget figures, but Richmond School Committee member Jessica Purcell praised Chariho administrators for delivering a proposed budget that, unlike other school districts, involves public participation.
“It's no small feat to operate the largest regional school district in the state while remaining compliant with state and federal requirements, maintaining and constantly improving a talented workforce, and building the human capital of our community and the next generation,” she said. “Due to the unique nature of the Chariho Act, the administration produces a budgeting process that ensures all members of the public are invited to participate and always have the opportunity to cast their vote in the annual tri-town referendum.”
The budget will be on the agenda of the Feb. 11 School Committee meeting, and there will be a budget workshop on Feb. 25. The budget referendum will take place on April 8.
Information on dates and times of budget workshops and meetings can be found on the Chariho website.