Pawtucket council OKs budget after tense debate; $500,000 for schools converted to one-time, MOU-backed grant

The Pawtucket City Council approved the mayor's 2025-26 operating budget after a prolonged public hearing and several amendment votes, adopting the mayor's proposed tax rate increase while converting a $500,000 school appropriation into a one-time grant contingent on a memorandum of understanding and regular reporting.

Public commenters, including two school social workers and the president of the Pawtucket Teachers Alliance, urged the council for a larger municipal contribution to the school department, citing caseloads, student trauma and staffing shortages. Ronald Bopry, identified in public comment as president of the Pawtucket Teachers Alliance and a fourth-grade teacher at Agnes Little Elementary School, said Pawtucket ranks near the bottom of Rhode Island districts for municipal funding and asked the council to increase local support for schools.

The budget process became sharply contested during the council's finance committee review. The mayor had requested permission from the state to exceed the municipal levy cap (commonly described in the meeting as the 4% cap) to cover rising debt service tied heavily to school construction. Finance Committee Chair Councilor Wildenhayn presented an…