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Tiverton School Committee reports $398,465 projected FY25 shortfall, seeks joint meeting with town council
Summary
School finance staff told the committee a projected FY25 shortfall of $398,465 driven largely by statewide transportation and rising medical premiums; the committee will work with the town council on a corrective action plan required by Rhode Island law.
The Tiverton School Committee was told on Jan. 14 that the district faces a projected fiscal-year 2025 shortfall of $398,465 and will work with the town council on a corrective action plan required under Rhode Island law.
Brandon Andrade, a school staff member who presented the figures, said the shortfall is driven primarily by a $300,000 increase tied to statewide student transportation costs and an expected rise in health and medical insurance premiums. "These are just unfortunate situations where everything I read today was basically majority mandated and we have no choice but to pay the bill," Andrade said.
The committee’s chairperson emphasized the scale and urged coordination. "This shortfall represents 1.1% of our total budget," the chairperson said, noting that while the amount is manageable, the district does not currently have the fund-balance cushion it once carried.
Why it matters: Rhode Island statute requires districts to submit a corrective action plan when a potential budget deficit appears. Committee members and staff told the public they already sent a memorandum to the town council, the town administrator and state finance officials and have 30 days to develop a plan with the council before submitting it for state review.
Details: Andrade said the $300,000 transportation gap reflected recent, unanticipated student enrollments that required placement on statewide transportation programs and higher per-student costs. He also cited a projected rise in medical premiums — a multi-year trend that he said could amount to roughly another $300,000 in exposure without conservatively applied offsets. Special-education related costs, including contracted nursing and mileage for certain placements, added upward pressure.
Committee members described steps already taken to limit the gap, including hiring freezes, restricted discretionary spending and targeted savings in operations. Andrade said those measures had reduced the projected shortfall from a larger figure to the current $398,465 estimate. The committee discussed seeking short-term options such as use of one-time sources and pursuing grants; staff said some conversations with Rhode Island Trust and other entities were underway.
Next steps: Committee members agreed to request a joint meeting with the town council so both governing bodies can review the data and discuss short- and long-term solutions. Town Councilor David Perry told the committee that the council is already exploring ways to reduce transportation costs, including possible fleet and parking solutions for buses.
Other context: Presenters noted the district has used one-time fund sources in recent years and no longer carries the multi-million-dollar fund balance it did previously; that history leaves less margin for unexpected cost spikes. The committee also flagged two upcoming union negotiations and the landing of FY26 state-aid numbers as additional budget uncertainties to watch.
