Narragansett superintendent asks town for 2.9% budget increase after $300,000 state-aid cut

Narragansett Superintendent Dr. Cummings on Monday presented a proposed fiscal year 2026 school budget that asks the town for a 2.9% increase — an $832,659 rise over last year — to offset a roughly $300,000 cut in state aid and to preserve core services.

The budget hearing is the public opportunity for the town council to receive input on the school committee-approved plan; the council opened the public hearing by motion and later closed it after public comment and council questions.

Dr. Cummings said the district expects about 966 students this year and projects slightly more than 900 students next year, with elementary enrollment around 300, middle school about 250 and high school roughly 370–375. He told the council the district will eliminate nine positions for the coming year to adjust to declining enrollment and budget constraints, and that salaries and benefits account for roughly 80% of the school budget.

“Over a quarter of our students qualify for free and reduced lunch,” Dr. Cummings said, noting that 1 in 4 students is an indicator of poverty in the district. He said roughly 16% of students have an individualized education program (IEP) and about 4% have Section 504 plans; seven students are English-language learners. He cautioned that some federal regulatory changes could slow the delivery of funds but said he did not expect immediate interruptions to services.

Cummings detailed several budget drivers: the new graduation regulations for current freshmen that require additional course credits, the loss of roughly $300,000 in state aid tied to a change in the state’s “hold harmless” treatment of districts with population loss, and the expiration of some federal COVID-era funding that previously subsidized programs such as school-based mental-health partnerships.

He said the school committee is requesting a 2.9% increase from the town — a request designed principally to restore revenue lost when state aid was reduced — and that the committee has committed the district’s fund balance to both operating and capital needs. “We are lean but not cheap,” Dr. Cummings said, describing the budget as conservative while preserving core programs.

Cummings outlined capital priorities that keep school facilities maintained rather than adding new projects: HVAC replacement for a gym, window replacements, electrical switchgear work and routine painting and maintenance included in a 10-year capital plan. He said the town council and school committee have historically coordinated to fund maintenance, and the district has kept capital requests to roughly 3% of the budget as requested in a town council resolution.

On academic outcomes, Cummings highlighted district growth since 2019: Narragansett ranked high in the state for gains in math and English language arts, and AP participation has increased from about 25–30% of graduates in 2016 to over 65% of last year’s class; the district offers about 14 AP courses.

Enrollment trends and out-of-district tuition were a focus of council questions. Cummings said the district enrolls 33 Jamestown students under a longstanding tuition agreement and receives roughly 58 high-school students for career-and-technical-education (CTE) programs. He said when nonresidents take existing classes the district largely covers fixed costs, making incoming tuition revenue fiscally helpful.

Councilors asked about drivers of enrollment decline across South County and the district’s efforts to market programs; Cummings described outreach, open houses and communications work, and noted a demographic study projecting a potential increase in incoming pre-K cohorts that could stabilize enrollment over the next two years.

Public comment included a statement from Stephanie Caldwell, a preschool teacher’s assistant and parent, who urged the council to approve the school committee’s requested increase and to protect teacher and student-facing positions. “Teachers are the heart of our schools,” Caldwell said.

Councilors and school committee members exchanged questions about program cuts and service continuity. Cummings said some positions tied to COVID-era expansion — including an additional high-school school psychologist and some grant-funded mental-health supports — will not be sustained at the same level and that certain services may be contracted (for example, physical therapy) to reduce costs while maintaining access.

The council voted to open the public hearing at the start of the session (motion carried) and later voted to close the hearing after public comment. The school committee had voted to approve the budget at a prior meeting; the town council will consider the committee’s FY2026 request as part of the municipal budget process.

If approved at the municipal level, the FY2026 plan would use the district’s fund balance to cover operating and capital needs while requesting the 2.9% increase to offset the state aid reduction. The school administration encouraged councilors to coordinate with state legislators on the fiscal impact of legislative mandates and to consider local housing and affordability strategies that could affect future student enrollment.