A Westerly resident urged the Town Council on Jan. 6 to hold the school district accountable for declining student proficiency and rising per‑pupil spending.

Robert Carradillo Jr., introduced himself as a nearly six‑decade Westerly resident and cited Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) data showing the district’s aggregate proficiency in English language arts, math and science at roughly 37% for the most recent year, down from about 38% three years earlier. He told the council that Westerly’s per‑pupil spending had risen to about $28,000 and that the district had paid roughly $2.4 million in one recent year to send students to other districts.

Carradillo said he believed program choices and administrative spending — specifically naming diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and restorative justice — had drawn resources away from core academics. He also alleged the superintendent was not complying with his contract’s expense‑reimbursement clause and said he would pursue the matter legally; his allegation is his claim taken from the meeting record and the council did not adjudicate it at this session.

Council discussion and responses:
- Councilor Bill Aiello said the school committee is sitting on a multi‑million dollar surplus and questioned increasing the district’s budget while that balance exists: “the school committee is actually sitting on a $5,000,000 5 plus million dollar surplus right now.”
- Councilors said they had met with the school committee in December and planned to share information during the budget season, including the maintenance‑of‑effort documentation that shows how school funding levels have changed.

Why it matters: School funding makes up a large share of municipal budgets and directly affects taxpayers and students. Public data on proficiency, enrollment and district finances were cited by the speaker and discussed by council members; the council said it will seek detailed budget figures and supporting documentation as part of normal budget review and oversight.

The council did not take action on school funding at the Jan. 6 meeting beyond requesting and planning follow‑up during the budget process.