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West Warwick council encumbers $500,000 for schools as state aid remains uncertain
Summary
At its March 31 public hearing, the West Warwick Town Council voted to move $500,000 from the proposed school appropriation into fund balance, holding the money in reserve until state aid is finalized; councilors and the superintendent highlighted sharp increases in out‑of‑district/DCYF tuition as a key budget pressure.
The West Warwick Town Council voted on March 31 to move $500,000 from the proposed FY2027 school appropriation into the town’s general fund balance as an encumbrance to be released only if the state provides the expected aid.
The motion, made by the councilor who had introduced the school presentation (Karen, speaker 8), and seconded by another council member (speaker 3), passed by voice vote after a brief discussion. Chair (speaker 1) called the question and announced that the “ayes have it.”
Town manager Mark (speaker 5) had opened the hearing with an overview of the FY2027 proposal, saying the total budget increase was “slightly more than $6,500,000” and that the levy increase would be roughly $2.8 million, producing an approximate tax‑rate increase in the low 4% range. Finance director Kristen Bononi (speaker 4) told the council updated assessed values lowered the projected levy‑based tax‑rate increase to about 4.05 percent.
Superintendent Karen (speaker 8) told the council the school department’s requested operating budget is $79,667,753, a 2.3 percent increase over FY26, and described reductions already made to bring the request closer to what the town can support. She stressed the budget’s vulnerability to special‑education and out‑of‑district tuition costs: “That same number, which is $88,000 this year, was $43,000” in 2023, she said, citing current per‑student DCYF/out‑of‑district tuition figures and the department’s limited ability to predict those costs ahead of the fall.
Councilors said keeping $500,000 in reserve would help avoid an immediate tax‑rate increase while the council waits for the state’s final numbers. One councilor framed the move as cautious: if state aid arrives at the levels hoped for, the town will not transfer the funds to the schools; if state aid falls short, the encumbrance can be released later via the normal transfer process.
The council also discussed the town’s commitment to keep the tax‑rate increase at or below 4 percent; members emphasized that most of the town budget is personnel costs and that significant further cuts would likely reduce services.
What happens next: the council expects updated state budget numbers in mid‑April and scheduled the next public hearing on April 7. If the state aid picture changes materially, councilors said they will revisit appropriations and transfers during the budget process.
Vote at a glance Motion: Move $500,000 from school appropriation to general fund (encumbered pending state aid) Mover: Karen (speaker 8) Second: Committee member (speaker 3) Outcome: Approved by voice vote Notes: Funds will be held in fund balance and only transferred if state aid does not materialize to cover the gap.
Speakers quoted above are identified by the name or role they used in the record: Mark (town manager, speaker 5); Kristen Bononi (finance director, speaker 4); Karen (superintendent, speaker 8).
