Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Glocester council amends resolution to back up to 3% supplemental tax for school funding
Summary
At a town council meeting, members amended a draft resolution to support state legislation allowing Glocester to seek voter approval to exceed the municipal levy cap by up to 3% for fiscal 2026 to help avert school layoffs, while the transcript does not record a final vote on the resolution itself.
The Glocester Town Council amended a draft resolution at a council meeting to support state legislation that would allow the town to seek voter approval for a supplemental tax levy not to exceed 3% for fiscal year 2026 to provide additional funding for the Glocester School Department and avoid layoffs.
The amendment — to change a proposed 2.7% cap increase to a 3% maximum — passed on an oral voice vote, according to the meeting transcript. The resolution text was read aloud at the meeting and references House Bill 2025-H6409 and Rhode Island General Laws section 44-5-2 as the statutory context for municipal levy limits.
The resolution text read at the meeting says the town approved a budget referendum allowing a 4% increase for fiscal 2026 that included a 6% increase for the school department, but that the school department nonetheless faces a significant budget shortfall that “will require the school department to lay off teachers and teacher assistants and significantly reduce critical student services,” language included in the draft read by staff.
Council discussion focused on the shortfall’s expected impacts on student achievement and school operations and on changing the resolution’s numerical cap from 2.7% to 3%. A speaker moved the amendment and another speaker seconded; the amendment was approved by voice vote. The transcript does not record a roll-call or numbered tally of council votes for either the amendment or the final passage of the resolution.
The draft resolution as read states that the Glocester Town Council supports House Bill 2025-H6409 (as cited in the transcript) to authorize the town to levy a supplemental tax by voter referendum that would exceed the current statutory levy cap by not more than 3% for fiscal 2026 in order to fund school department operations and avoid loss of critical town services.
The transcript does not record a final, formal vote on the resolution after the amendment was adopted. The meeting proceeded to other business and adjournment motions after the resolution text was read.
Next steps identified in the meeting record are the council’s support for introduction and passage of substitute or companion legislation in the Rhode Island General Assembly and further actions “necessary to assist the Glocester School Department to adopt the 2025 budget,” per statements in the transcript.
