Portsmouth School Committee approves FY26 budget update, contracts, policy changes and bond amendment in unanimous votes

The Portsmouth School Committee on July 1 approved a package of operating and capital items by unanimous votes (6–0), including a revised FY 2026 operating budget, several contract awards, a school construction amendment tied to the 2021 bond and final adoption of policy JLG (education of homeless children and youth).

Budget and state aid Mister Derrick, a district finance staff member, told the committee that changes to the state budget increased district state aid by $103,735. "The funding formula was up $9,962. High cost special ed went up $38,383, and group home aid went up $55,390. In total, state aid is being increased by a $103,735, and the town appropriation is being reduced by the same amount," Derrick said. The committee voted to adopt the revised FY 2026 operating budget; the vote was unanimous, 6–0. Committee members noted the action aligned the district numbers with the Town Council’s June 23 vote and depended on the state budget being allowed to take effect without the governor’s signature.

Construction amendment and capital projects The committee approved an amendment to the district’s 2021 bond allocations with the Rhode Island School Building Authority. The amendment finalizes project allocations for work funded by the 2021 bond (total bond cost listed as $21,439,299 in committee materials) and reallocates $554,628 from other projects to complete Portsmouth Middle School bathroom work. Committee discussion made clear the amendment is an internal reallocation to finish the middle school bathrooms; the vote to approve signatures for the amendment was unanimous, 6–0.

Contract awards and procurement - Owner’s project manager (OPM) Stage 1 & 2: The committee confirmed the contract award to Peregrine Group for Stage 1 and Stage 2 OPM services for a negotiated fee of $72,000 (period: June 2025 to the Stage 2 RIDE submission in February 2026). Vote: unanimous, 6–0. - Snow and ice removal: Following a sealed‑bid process, the committee awarded a three‑year contract to Depont’s Landscaping for snow and ice removal services for the 11/01/2025–06/30/2028 period, with district discretion to negotiate up to two additional one‑year extensions. Vote: unanimous, 6–0. - Food service management: The committee approved a one‑year food‑service management contract to Chartwells (a Compass Group company) for FY2025–26; the award continues the state‑level contracting arrangement for school food service and represents the fifth and final year of the current statewide contract. Vote: unanimous, 6–0.

Other fiscal actions - Transfers: The committee approved six budget transfers over $5,000 since the last meeting (the largest funded technology equipment for the coming school year) and accepted a report of ten smaller transfers under $5,000 for informational purposes. Vote on transfers over $5,000: unanimous, 6–0.

Policy and personnel items - Policy JLG (education of homeless children and youth): Committee member Miss McDade raised a minor typo on an immediate‑enrollment paragraph and the board approved the revised policy on final reading. The superintendent reported the district’s count of students experiencing homelessness had grown to 14, from about five when she began in the role. Vote: unanimous, 6–0. - Personnel and minutes: The committee approved school committee and executive session minutes (06/10/2025) and other consent items; approvals were unanimous, 6–0.

Other motions - The committee approved a PHS ski and snowboard club outing contingent on the club raising sufficient funds to cover costs; the motion included explicit contingency language so the district would not be financially responsible if fundraising failed. Vote: unanimous, 6–0.

Procedural notes The committee opened the meeting with a moment of silence for recent local tragedies, conducted an executive session earlier in the evening and recessed to reconvene the executive session after the public session. The committee’s next regular meeting was scheduled for Aug. 26, 2025.