Divisions Apparent at Omnibus Meeting
By Cynthia Drummond for BRVCA
January 20th 2024
RICHMOND – Members of the Chariho School Committee and Chariho administrators hosted the annual Omnibus Meeting Wednesday, and it was the longest in recent memory, lasting nearly three hours.
Attending were Town Council members from Charlestown, Richmond and Hopkinton Town Councils, as well as representatives of other committees. The purpose of the Omnibus Meeting is to present the school district’s new proposed budget, in this case, for Fiscal Year 2025. The meeting is a requirement of the Chariho Act, the state legislation that created the regional school district.
As a small group of residents looked on, town representatives asked questions about the budget, but they also had questions about a proposal for Chariho to participate in a state program that would replace the district’s aging elementary schools with new buildings. Some town officials have balked at the first of three school buildings options, involving a $150 million bond for the new schools, because they worry that residents, already in a surly mood over their property taxes, will see their taxes go even higher. The other options are to go out for a $30 million bond to repair and renovate the existing schools in what has been called the “warm, dry, safe” option, and finally, a capital “pay as you go” improvement and repair option, which would cost approximately $7 million. The state will reimburse 76% to 81% of the cost of building new schools. Districts that choose the “warm, safe and dry” or “pay as you go” options will receive 61% reimbursements.
The Pitch
Superintendent of Schools Gina Picard, who presented the school buildings proposal to the Richmond Town Council on Tuesday, presented it once again at Wednesday’s Omnibus meeting. Reached Thursday, she said the important thing for residents to understand is that regardless of the option they choose, the costs to the taxpayers will be the same.
“It’s going to cost the taxpayers the exact same amount of money, whether we just do basic, whether we just do new schools,” she said. “It’s going to be, annually, about $2.3 million … you’re going to look at a $2.3 million increase, regardless of the pass forward,” she said. “What people have to understand is, for $2 million, the outcomes that you could get are new schools, prioritize projects like the Richmond [school]bathroom project, the Charlestown [school] paving project, the Ashaway playground and paving project, the main campus, the plumbing in the elementary schools, or, the third option, if both of those bonds don’t pass, it would be like putting our facilities at risk and trying to do our best for emergencies only.”
School Committee Chair Catherine Giusti said Thursday that the discussion of school building options had been marred by misinformation.
“I think there are a lot of questions, and hopefully councilors, who wanted accurate information,” she said. “I think something that plays this entire process is fear mongering and inaccurate information and hopefully, some of that was dispelled last night.”
Richmond School Committee member Jessica Purcell said she believed the annual event was worthwhile, despite the political posturing.
“I think that it serves an important purpose of reminding all of us in positions of representation that we’re better when we work together,” she said. “Sometimes, the discussion may not have immediate consequences, but it puts ideas in people’s minds, it puts questions and concerns in people’s minds, and hopefully in the future, they can take those concerns and work together to improve them for all their constituents.”
The Proposed Budget
The proposed Fiscal Year 2025 Chariho budget, including debt service, is $58.4 million, an increase of 2.2%. The three towns’ contributions, after state aid, would be: Charlestown $12.7 million, a 1.5% increase, Richmond, $16.2 million, a 3.1% increase, and Hopkinton, $15.9 million, a 5.6% increase. As has often been stated, each town’s contribution to the school district is based on its student enrollment, with Charlestown having the fewest students in recent years.
Hopkinton Town Council President Michael Geary said he believed that the Chariho contributions should be equal for each of the towns.
“I think a third, a third and a third would be good for us,” he said.
Charlestown council Vice President Stephen Stokes appeared to agree.
“If we’re going to do it as a district, we’re getting three equal buildings of equal cost, … then it should be voted upon as a district and the chips will fall where they may,” he said. “And I personally do not disagree in the building, considering the cost, we’re getting equal buildings, I don’t particularly have a problem with the discussion of a third, a third, a third. I don’t see a problem with us paying a fair share in certain aspects when we talk about things that are equally done, so I think there’s a conversation that we certainly can have there.”
Charlestown Town Council President Deborah Carney disagreed, and presented a list of her town’s payments for additional services, beyond what was required by the Chariho Act.
“Right now, we have approximately 24% of the students at Chariho,” she said. “We’re paying 9% more every year than we’re required to pay by the Act, but it was a concession made by Charlestown.”
The public hearing on the budget is on March 5 and the budget referendum will take place on April 9. Budget details, and the timeline, can be found on the Chariho website.