Recommendations of Middletown’s Regionalization Planning Committee

The Regional Planning Committee met 4 times to discuss issues related to potential school regionalization, The Committee heard from Superintendent Rosemarie Kraeger (enrollment), MPS Facilities Manager Edward Collins (facilities, transportation), Attorney Daniel K. Kinder (contracts), Attorney Michael W. Miller (governance).

Documents reviewed included the 2009 RIPEC Study, comparable data from RI high schools, and comparable programs from 19 RI high schools and 7 MA regional high schools. The committee anticipates that the reports from the ad hoc committee (updated RIPEC data and the Educational Study) will validate the reviewed data.

Based on the information provided and collaborative discussion, the committee has concluded the following:

• School regionalization will provide a benefit to the community through a 21st century school that will attract economic development through workforce development and an increased quality of life.

• School regionalization will provide increased student opportunities through a diverse and expanded program for a critical mass of students.

• School regionalization will provide potential savings through shared facilities and costs, which would not otherwise be feasible given local fiscal constraints.

Therefore, the committee makes the following recommendations:

The Regional Planning Committee supports the concept of school regionalization through a phase-in process, beginning at the high school level.

The Regional Planning Committee recognizes the benefit of a timeline that places the question on the ballot for the 2012 Presidential election.

In that regard, the Committee further recommends the following:

• That the Middletown Town Council affirm its support for the concept of school regionalization.

• That the Middletown Town Council develop a proposed timeline to guide activities that will lead to a November 2012 ballot question.

• That the Middletown Town Council approve a resolution encouraging the other Newport County/ communities (Newport, Portsmouth, Jamestown, Tiverton, and Little Compton) to similarly explore the concept of school regionalization as it applies to their municipalities. .

• That the President of the Middletown Town Council promote and initiate collaborative discussions with each of the Newport County Councils.

Please see the following post for details of the discussions that led to the above recommendations.

Discussion of Middletown's Regionalization Planning Committee

The Middletown Regionalization Planning Committee met 5 times across 6 months before it presented its considered recommendations to the Middletown Town Council. It interviewed the Middletown Superintendent of Schools and the Facility Manager as well as 2 attorneys familiar with the concept. Its major deliberations are summarized below.


The committee was composed of 4 members appointed by the Town Council and 2 members by the School Committee as required by the legislation. The former included former Town Council President William Flynn, former Middletown Superintendent of Schools Michael Pinto, and current Town Council Members Christopher Semonelli and Barbara VonVillas. The School Committee representatives were members Liana Fenton and Kellie DiPalma. Town Administrator Shawn Brown attended all meetings


The committee’s charge was to explore the concept of school regionalization as it would apply to Middletown.


At the first meeting on July 7, 2010, the committee discussed the following:
• Local efforts, e.g., 2009 RIPEC study, the role of the ad hoc committee; the role of a planning committee (R.I.G.L. 16.3.4), and the role of a planning board ( R.I.G.L. 16.3.5).
• Lack of public engagement and the need to publicize the issue
• Inability to run a comprehensive high school with only 600-700 students
• Concern that many residents send their children to private schools.
• Governance and representation


On August 4, 2010, the committee interviewed Superintendent Kraeger, and School Facilities Manager Ed Collins. Topics included the following:
• Current enrollment and enrollment projections
• Opportunities available through Virtual High School (VHS)
• Disappearance of many electives
• Possibility of starting at Pre-K level
• Center of island beneficial for transportation
• Fielding Nair Facilities Study
• Maximum capacity of drive-in property for high school (with gym and auditorium) is 3,000 students


At its September 8, 2010 meeting, topics included:
• Data related to assessment, spending, and programming at 26 high schools
• Discussion of benefits and issues as related to Middletown

Benefits
1. Middletown is geographical center of island.
2. Student population leans toward center of island
3. Land is available in Middletown
4. Conceptual plans exist for building a new high school
5. A regional district should have balanced representation.
6. Enhanced academic, extracurricular, athletic opportunities
7. 21st century program of academics and skills
8. Consolidation is preferable to tuitioning for cost savings associated with new construction
9. Advantage of cultural diversity
10. Efficiencies/opportunities resulting from critical mass
11. Needs measurable implementation plan
12. Consolidation of support services
13. Marginal enrollment not sufficient to provide a comprehensive program
14. We want to be leaders, not followers.

Issues
1. Marketing/politics
2. Contractual issues
3. Identity
4. Embedded town culture
5. Economic diversity
6. Transportation
7. Real/perceived community wealth
8. Diverse management styles
9. Kids could get lost in a larger school


On September 27, 2010, the committee interviewed Attorney Daniel K. Kinder and Attorney Michael W. Miller who explained as follows:
• A regional district would be a completely new entity
• There could be “zero-sum” budget and contract negotiations in the creation of a model document that would eliminate inefficiencies.
• No one district should have a majority of representation on a regional school committee; three or more districts would be the preferred model.


Finally, on December 2, 2010, the committee completed its deliberations and agreed on the following:
• Importance of schools as the “economic engine” of the community
• Critical mass of students essential for expansion of programming to provide 21st century education as well as meet the growing needs of the job market.
• Timeline critical for collaboration, marketing, and 2012 election
• Recommendations


Please see the follow-up article (above) that will include the specific recommendations of the Planning Committee.

“West Main Road Land Use Study Will Have Big Benefits for the Town”

How disappointing that the Newport Daily News doesn’t understand the truism that “a prophet is never recognized in his own country.”

Its editorial condemning the decision by the Middletown Town Council to contract for a study of one of the most important pieces of real estate in our town totally overlooked the unprecedented opportunity to develop a Town Center and did not recognize the potential issues that might be caused by competing interests.

Some of us may regard the release of a large piece of Navy property adjacent to larger parcels that could be incorporated into a mixed use colonial style village with walking paths and small shops as a potential boon to the Town’s economy and a major improvement on the appearance of West Main Road.

Others may regard the large parcel of land as an opportunity for further corporate, light industrial or retail growth.

These are competing interests and each has its advocates.

Not until the potential for this property is fully examined objectively by those who spend their entire careers developing similar areas can a small town like Middletown make an informed decision that it can market effectively to both the Base Realignment and Closure Program (BRAC) and, if we are successful, to the voters.

The cost of such a study is negligible, especially when those costs are being shared by the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission and grant funding. The project itself would require widespread support and voter approval for substantial bonding. However, the benefits to the Town in the long run would be incalculable.

The next time some suggest that the Town is being foolish in its spending practices, I suggest that they be reminded about our admirable bond rating and the high regard for Middletown’s financial management across the state. They should look at the services we provide and our ability, for example, to construct a new police station with minimal bonding.

In Middletown, we do not waste revenue. We make it go further than it would seem possible. For that we deserve encouragement, not unfounded criticism, not just for doing more with less, but even more noteworthy, for having vision.

How Come Nobody “Gets It”?

Why haven’t the residents of the three Aquidneck Island municipalities figured out that, no matter how many little tweaks we make to our budgets, we are still facing financial disaster?

Most people know that, when their income is down, they have to “tighten their belts” a little and, if necessary, do it again the following year. But when the belt is so tight that you can barely breathe, something else has to be done.

Then it’s time to have a yard sale or put something on EBay or Craig’s List. Property has to go if we are going to keep the wolves away from the door.

So what does a city or town do when there just isn’t enough revenue? First it cuts services,

The problem with cutting services, however, is that it’s the services that bring in outsiders who spend their money here. It’s the police and fire departments that provide safety for visitors or prospective homebuyers. It’s the nicely mowed grass or neatly plowed snow or the regular trash pickups that send a message that a city or town is well managed and a nice place to live. Not to mention the fact that it is good schools that convince industries to expand here and persuade employees to buy houses. So what services would you cut?

Next option. In the spirit of EBay and Craig’s List, what can we sell or where can we save money that we haven’t touched before? You all know my answer. Consolidate the high schools and close those inefficient buildings that were built for another time when the island enrollments peaked and expansion was unavoidable. Perpetuating extravagance is self-defeating.

Now, before the proposed state funding formula for schools hits island communities hard because the enrollments have dropped dramatically, it’s time to divest ourselves of the expensive vestiges of the past and regroup.

Just the way the US Navy is excessing property that it no longer needs in order to promote efficiency, the city and the towns need to divest themselves of structures that give us less value for the buck.

We’ve got to stop hoping for a miracle. It’s not going to happen. The state itself has a $220 mil gap and has cut $2 mil from local aid. We don’t have the votes to block the funding formula that, in its current form, will result in a decrease of funding of $1.6 mil in Newport, $2.8 mil in Portsmouth, and $3.1 mil in Middletown.

If we are to save our schools – and our town budgets - we must do something big that will really make a difference. No nickel-and-dime measures will do now. It’s time for leadership and courage that will at least begin the conversation.

High School Consolidation: Experience from the Trenches

To date, there has not been any widespread discussion of the benefits to be gained from regionalizing Aquidneck Island high schools. Beneath the radar, many people have indicated that they would support high school consolidation but, until there is more public interest, the idea of any form of school regionalization will continue to be an impossible dream or a distant nightmare, depending on your perspective.

It has been suggested that what is needed is a public forum. My experience is that the typical public forum is almost useless. There were a number of forums focused on the RIPEC Feasibility Study with no visible result. The recent meeting of Rep. Rice’s Regionalization Committee inspired no productive dialogue. The promised Educational Study supported by the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee is not likely to stimulate much more discussion if something doesn’t happen to pave the way.

I suggest that what is needed is not another forum, but rather a panel discussion that would allow those who are already doing it to describe their own experiences – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Wouldn’t it be interesting to hear what the principals of regional high schools have to say?

They wouldn’t talk about the tax burden, and they wouldn’t make promises of educational nirvana. They might just tell the public – and especially the parents of up and coming high school students - specifically what is actually to be gained and lost by high school consolidation. No opinion. Just fact. Exactly what is needed right now.

Imagine the attraction of four to six high school principals, each talking about his or her own regional high school and telling it like it is.

I’m tired of hearing from those who haven’t been in the trenches of regionalization spinning a mile of promises or projecting adult-related anxiety. I want to hear from those who are doing it about their experiences in integrating the students from different communities. Does it work? What are the challenges? Would you do it again if you had it to do over?

All the studies in the world are not going to convince anyone of anything. Give me real people in real circumstances with real students. That’s the way to find out what works and what doesn’t work. Otherwise, don’t waste my time.

“Regionalization” Meeting Disappoints

Last night’s meeting at Gaudet Middle School on the subject of regionalization was a big disappointment.

State Representative Amy Rice chairs the Special House Commission to Study Regionalizing and/or Combining Administrative and Other Functions of the Newport, Portsmouth, and Middletown School Systems. Members of the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee and officials from all 3 communities in addition to other interested parties were invited.

Unfortunately, the meeting focused on Commissioner Deborah Gist’s presentation relative to the proposed funding formula and not on regionalization itself. If anything, the topic of regionalization was lost amid audience concerns about funding under the proposed formula.

As a result of the attempt to equalize support to the cities and towns by assigning specific dollars for each student, the same pot of money (or perhaps a very slightly increased pot of money) will be redistributed across the state, and communities that have seen increases in enrollments will get more funding while communities whose enrollments have decreased will receive less funding.

Under the current plan, Newport will lose $1.66 mil, Portsmouth will lose $2.66 mil, and Middletown will lose $3.12 mil. By the way, none of those specific numbers were shared with the audience last night.

When asked if there would be any adjustment for regional districts, the Commissioner said that there would be adjustments in housing aid. Unfortunately, this statement was not given the attention it deserved.

In other words, there will be no incentive for regionalization because the money follows the student. If there is money to be saved, it will not happen with the help of the state. It will only happen if the local communities make a concerted effort to cut costs beyond the instructional program. However, and this is a BIG however, the state WILL double the housing aid from 30% to 60%. What does this mean? It means that the state will only provide a pot of extra funding IF THERE IS A CONSOLIDATION THAT RESULTS IN NEW CONSTRUCTION.

As I have been saying all along, regionalization will only save money if there is consolidation. We can nickel-and-dime it by looking at common purchasing or we can bite the bullet and close buildings. A mere $5,000 here or there is not going to amount to a hill of beans. However, incurring the same costs for 700 students (in 2010) that we did for 1250 students (in 1990) doesn’t make sense, especially when those costs have escalated with inflation. How long will we cling to the vestiges of the past while our tax dollars are swallowed up in the future?

Our island communities are talking about building new elementary schools when they should be talking about consolidating the high schools. Before we spend huge amounts of money and strap ourselves with debt service, why aren’t we looking for the best bang for the buck?

Please don’t ask me to vote for a new elementary school when the high schools on the island are aging, they are in need of expensive repairs and upgrading and, furthermore, are half empty.

What are we thinking? What are our leaders thinking?

And don’t talk to me about a funding formula that most people already consider a done deal. Talk to me about saving money through consolidation in a manner that makes sense, one that I can believe in. I’m tired of lip service. Give me some rational action.

Save money? Close Buildings!

Unfortunately, regionalization as a process by itself will not save money. Having served as an administrator in 3 regional school districts, I can say from experience that there is really only one way to save the kind of money that makes the concept worthwhile, and that is the closure of buildings.

School administration from a distance isn’t effective. Administrators need to be in the schools, even the Superintendent. I served in that capacity in Rhode Island for 7 years, and I can say from experience that visiting classrooms and observing and giving feedback to teachers is the most efficient and effective way to improve delivery to students and increase achievement.

On the other hand, consolidating students, particularly those in high schools, offers the most promise for several reasons. The first and most important reason is that it would improve the educational program by providing a critical mass. On Aquidneck Island, for example, there are approximately 650 high school students in Newport, 700 in Middletown, and 1,100 (including Little Compton students) in Portsmouth. Each community has its own high school. Think of the number of Advanced Placement courses or foreign languages or career development programs that could be provided in a single large school in the center of the island.

But the strongest reason for regionalization on Aquidneck Island is the ability to excess 3 aging and costly high school buildings, all in need of expensive upgrading and renovations, by uniting all 3 communities in a single campus with all the bells and whistles for 60% reimbursement plus 5% for energy-efficient mechanical systems.

For regionalization to succeed on Aquidneck Island – or anywhere else for that matter – there must be a shared vision and shared ownership. There is no shared vision and shared ownership in shared administration and/or shared purchasing.

A shared vision develops from the prospect of shared ownership. If people are to “give up” something, they will only be willing to do it for something better. All the promises in the world about saving money will fall on deaf ears because the truth is that the people out there do not trust us, and rightly so. Too many times they have been betrayed and disappointed.

Give them a goal they can internalize as their own, something better that they can buy into, and those who are sitting back, waiting to see if anything will actually happen, will come out of the woodwork.

However, as long as we continue to dance in place rather than lead the line dancing, they will sit on the sidelines like wallflowers and wait for the night to be over so they can go home.

Funding Formula Means Huge Loss of State Aid

Yesterday I attended a meeting of the League of Cities and Towns and, upon reflection, I don’t think I can ever before remember being in the midst of movers and shakers who felt so hopeless and helpless.

The League invited representatives from RIDE to explain the proposed state funding formula for schools to representatives from each of the cities and towns. I attended with the Town Administrator and the Finance Director.

The speaker from RIDE presented a great amount of information, including a number of algebraic formulas that left most of the audience glassy-eyed. They were only interested in the data used to develop the formula and the impact it would have on their individual communities. Both were controversial.

The data used was stale, to say the least. The reference date used for property values was 12/31/06. Since that time, the bottom dropped out of the economy, many districts have had re-evaluations, and property values have changed considerably and even disproportionately.

In addition, references were made to median family income derived from the 2000 Census, which the League stated could be “12 or 13 years old depending on the census date.” One Town Administrator asked why median family income was used when free and reduced lunch data is fresher and less subject to tax anomalies.

The real issue for most was the direct impact on the cities and towns. It is true that the hold harmless provision has, in itself, created inequities that benefitted some municipalities. For example, the Aquidneck Island communities have experienced decreasing enrollments over the years; yet state aid allocations have been held at the same level as when there were many more students in the school districts.

At the same time, towns that experienced enrollment increases did not receive their proportionate share of a limited pot of money. It was always apparent that, if and when a funding formula was enacted, the island communities would be among the “losers,” not among the “winners.”

What is particularly frustrating, however, is the conclusion that well-managed communities will suffer excessive losses because good management creates the perception of a higher tax capacity, i.e., ability to pay. The state is telling us that we should expect to pay more because we can.

The problem now is that the funding formula appears to be a “done deal.” It was developed by RIDE in conjunction with research done at Brown. The legislators have kept their hands off so all they have to do is vote. The truth is that Rhode Island is the only state that does not have a funding formula. Furthermore, because the state is competing for the Race to the Top federal funds, there is impetus to get it done. It’s time has come.

I started this blog because I truly believed that there was an imperative for regionalization on Aquidneck Island. I never believed that money alone would make it happen, and I still don’t think so.

But now there is more reason than ever to give regionalization a second look. There comes a point when hanging onto the past is just living in the past. Our children are the pawns in the adult world’s resistance to change. Regionalization doesn’t have to be a loss. It can actually be a gain for the students in all 3 communities - if we do it right.

Good News and Bad News

Congratulations to the Portsmouth Town Council for finally joining the other island communities in supporting an educational study for the purpose of identifying the potential benefits (and disadvantages as well) of school regionalization on Aquidneck Island.

Studies of this nature are always helpful, but they take time which, unfortunately, we do not have. The RIPEC study already told us that money could be saved by regionalizing, but no one seems to be listening.

As we get further into the budget season, be prepared for some hard decisions that are not likely to make anyone happy – not the taxpayers, not the municipalities, and not the schools.

Try as you might to ignore it, we are in crisis mode. The state has been squeezing the cities and towns until they are almost dry, yet the governor and the legislators tell us to keep tightening our belts and be more efficient – all the while continuing with their own self-indulgence – but that’s a subject for another time.

The fact is that there is no place for the cities and towns to go but to cut services to both the taxpayers and to the schools or to request that the state let us exceed the tax cap.

Cutting municipal services could mean reducing the fire, police, and/or maintenance, and cutting back services to the schools could mean that your children would not get the quality education that you did. On the other hand, exceeding the tax cap would mean that your taxes would be higher.

Neither of the two options is attractive but it is likely that it will be necessary to choose between them. This is not a time when little tweaks can fill the hole dug for us by the state. Only our own substantive action will get us over the next few years.

However, it appears that, until we actually feel the pain, no one will believe how really bad it is. These are not scare tactics. This is reality. It’s time to think creatively, to look for viable solutions, and to take action now.

Regionalization - How To Do It Ourselves

The article in the Newport Daily News last week (“Can Regionalization Be Mandated?”) certainly stirred up a hornet’s nest. I don’t know anyone on Aquidneck Island who thinks the state should meddle in local affairs of this magnitude.

At the same time, more and more islanders are beginning to understand that school regionalization is just about the only way that taxpayers can support the towns’ services, provide a decent education for their children, and still keep their shirts.

So the question is: How do we make it happen proactively before the state gets impatient and decides to save us from ourselves? ? We can’t do it by burying our heads in the sand and waiting for it to go away. The cataclysm is upon us. Have you seen the losses our island communities will incur when the school funding formula becomes law – and it most certainly will - if not this proposal, then one just as onerous? Rhode Island is the only state that doesn’t have a funding formula. The answer for us is to recognize reality and rely on the legislation:

1. § 16-3-4 Creation of planning committee … – (a) Any city or town, by majority vote of its appropriating authority, may create a special unpaid committee to be known as a regional school district planning committee…, to consist of three (3) members, two (2) of whom shall be appointed by the president of the city or town council and one of whom shall be appointed by the chairperson of the school committee….

2. § 16-3-5 Formation of regional planning board. – Regional school district planning committees from any two (2) or more cities or towns may join together to form a regional school district planning board or boards.

3. § 16-3-6 Studies and reports by planning board. – It shall be the duty of the regional school district planning board to study the advisability of establishing a regional school district, its organization, operation, and control, and of constructing, maintaining, and operating a school or schools and the types of services to be performed by the school or schools to serve the needs of the district; to estimate the construction and its operating costs; to investigate the methods of financing the school or schools, and any other matters pertaining to the organization and operation of a regional school district; and to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the city or town councils of the several participating cities or towns…

4. § 16-3-7 Recommendations as to establishment of regional district. – The regional district planning board may recommend that there shall be established a regional school district….

5.  § 16-3-8 Submission of agreement to board of regents for elementary and secondary education and the cities or towns. – Copies of the agreement drawn by the regional district planning board in accordance with § 16-3-7 shall be submitted to the state board of regents for elementary and secondary education for review and recommendation

6.  § 16-3-9 Action by city or town on recommendations. – Each city or town council of the respective cities or towns shall, upon receipt of a recommendation that a regional school district should be formed, and of a proposed agreement submitted in accordance with the provisions of §§ 16-3-4 to 16-3-8, and with the approval required by § 16-3-8, direct the city or town clerk to cause the question of accepting the provisions of this and the following sections and the proposed agreement or agreements to be placed on the official [ballot…for a] referendum….

In other words, the legislation calls for the process to begin locally, at the level of the governing bodies. That means that the individual city and town councils have to take the official step to appoint planning committees, representing both council and school committee members, to explore the feasibility of school regionalization as it would affect their communities. I proposed such a committee for Middletown a couple of months ago, but the proposal was defeated.

Finally, at its February 16th meeting, the Middletown Town Council voted to tentatively explore regionalization as a committee of the whole. This is not quite what the legislation calls for, but it is the first official step taken by a governing body to actually discuss the idea.

The first meeting of the Middletown Town Council Committee of the Whole met on Monday, March 1st and conducted an open discussion of regionalization for the first time. Members were asked to state their opinions regarding school regionalization and they did so, absent the time constraints of the docket and the eye of the camera. I spoke with several observers, and they applauded the openness of the councilors and the willingness to express opinions.

The truth is that nothing will happen until the individual city and town councils begin the conversation, even if only in limited talks. The next step is for Newport and Portsmouth to conduct discussions of their own and for each council to dialogue with their individual school committees. That would initiate the beginning of the legislated process.

The resulting individual community planning committees - Middletown’s, Newport’s, and Portsmouth’s - if they so desired could each decide to explore the concept together. Following the legislation, a regional planning board could then be formed to discuss the possibilities of school regionalization.

All the talk in the world will leave us at the mercy of the state if the local city and town councils refuse to conform to the legislation and officially engage in the discussion. To delay is merely to postpone the inevitable. We are finally engaged in Middletown. What about Newport and Portsmouth?

Can Regionalization Be Mandated?

That’s the question that was asked on the front page of the Newport Daily News yesterday in an article that did not answer the question. Maybe yes or maybe no. The real problem is that someone is now seriously considering it.

Now, when school regionalization is finally getting off the ground with the commitment of the Middletown Town Council to formally consider the concept, the RI Commission on Regionalization of Aquidneck Island Schools has decided it’s time to raise the specter of the unholy mandate.

It’s not enough that the state has crippled the cities and towns by imposing mandates that siphon away precious dollars and then has refused to lift them even a little during these hard economic times.

Instead the state is going to help us solve our problems again.

Now, don’t misunderstand me. I do support school regionalization, but I support it under the auspices of local control, not under the threat of Big Brother.

Starting with the recent action of the Middletown Town Council to form a committee of the whole to explore the concept for Middletown, the island is moving in the right direction and, if the other towns will jump on board with their own committees, we can begin to make it happen in a way that is acceptable and even beneficial for the students in all the towns on the island.

However, I don’t see that happening if the state gets involved. Aquidneck Islanders are independent. The quickest way to raise opposition is to tell us what we have to do.

Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail, the island communities will choose to be proactive, and Providence will let us do it our way.

The City and Town Councils Are the Responsible Parties

Today’s e-mail brought a concern from a reader about a potential conflict among committees that are exploring municipal consolidation and school regionalization. There can be no conflict.

Municipal consolidation is purely a function of the City and Town Administrators with the approval of the City and Town Councils.

As for school regionalization, legislation guides the process. Until the City and Town Councils agree to explore the concept of regionalization, there can be no forward movement, regardless of the good intentions of the groups that advocate for it.

The important premise is that the City and Town Councils are the responsible parties and can avoid state intervention only by acting affirmatively to explore the concept themselves.

We all know that the state budget is a mess. The Governor and the legislature are flailing about, looking for a way to cut expenses. State aid to the cities and towns has been cut dramatically, including aid to education.

Why do you think the state is promoting school regionalization? The answer is that, if the schools can be supported more economically by the cities and towns themselves, less state aid will be required and the state can reduce its budget.

In the last year we have seen some pretty draconian measures aimed at reducing the state budget – most of them directed at the cities and towns – as though we are wasteful spenders. While I can state unequivocally that Middletown has a well-managed budget, how long will it be before the state loses patience with our 3 communities – a vulnerable geographic unit – and mandates regionalization on its own terms?

Middletown for one will not sit back and let it happen because of political inaction. The Middletown Town Council has initiated its own exploration. I call upon Newport and Portsmouth to do the same.

Action Takes Time

Yesterday brought an e-mail from a Middletown businessman who told me, “We need rapid and effective collaboration between the three [island communities] now. Most of all, how do we keep this from being politicized? Attack this problem from a business perspective and it gets solved very quickly. Politicize it, and we are doomed to talk and gridlock.”

I certainly hope he is wrong. The one thing that I would not like to see is a bunch of people making consolidation a political football. The keywords in one of my earlier posts were “honestly and honorably.”

He was absolutely right about one thing though. Government doesn’t work as fast as the business world. A business develops an idea, designs it, produces it, and markets it pretty quickly. If it works, great. If not, there is readjustment or redirection. Pretty simple.

Government is not that easy. Major decisions are made by a group of divergent thinkers. It takes time to reach consensus or even a majority willing to take action. Then there is the need for public input and due reconsideration. Often it takes time to weigh the interests of a few in light of the potential result for the whole. More time passes before there is decisive action.

How does this time problem relate to sharing municipal services and school regionalization? As much as it would be nice for those who have long advocated for such consolidation, the process of reaching consensus for school regionalization by voter approval will take time.

It can’t be rushed. It can’t be arbitrarily decreed. It must be explored in each community by all concerned to determine the advantages and disadvantages for each. Then, if each community decides to proceed and, if a regional board is authorized by each individual town, the concept will have to be discussed and negotiated until a clear delineation of a common goal is agreed to by all the parties.

All this has to happen before it can even begin to be marketed to the voters. How can you market something that isn’t clearly identified so that everyone visualizes exactly the same thing? The voters are the ones who will have to support it – after they know what they are voting for.

Unfortunately, government action can’t be rushed – even when fiscal issues and the future of our children are on the line.

However, with a serious commitment by all the island government bodies, it can move forward deliberately and expeditiously to provide relief for taxpayers and a better education for their children.

Awakening the Sleeping Giants?

A motion to form a committee of the whole for the purpose of exploring municipal combinations and school regionalization was approved unanimously by the Middletown Town Council at its February 16, 2010 regular meeting.

The Middletown Town Council was the first political body on Aquidneck Island to take official steps to legitimize efforts to promote the collaboration of the three island communities.

Now the question is: How long will the governing bodies of the other two communities be willing to sit on their hands and give lip service to municipal combination and school regionalization? Do they really think that it is going to go away? Are they so insulated from the realities of the state budget deficits and dramatically decreasing state aid that they are not willing to at least make a good faith effort to substantially reduce expenses by consolidation of services?

Finally there appears to be some political will - at least in Middletown. Now let’s see if their companion communities also have the political will.

What can be expected from Middletown’s committee of the whole and from the others, if Newport and Portsmouth can make the good faith leap? Well, not too much is really necessary at this point.

There just needs to be a discussion of the sticky issues, such as fiscal benefits and regional governance, because that’s where the real future of consolidation lies. What can each of the three communities live with?

Each committee – assuming that there will eventually be three – should identify, for example, the areas of government where consolidation would bring greater efficiency and financial benefit. They need to determine the acceptable distribution of a regional school committee and propose a facilities plan for a regional school district if one should be proposed. They need to look at the potential for savings and balance it against the changes that would be required.

Then, after they have each found the place that their communities can live with, they can decide if and how they want to move forward. Middletown has shown that it is willing to take the first step. Now let’s see if the other communities have as much political courage.

The Thousand Pound Gorilla Upstate

Recently I wrote about the threat to local control by those in state government who think they can browbeat the cities and towns into submission. Chalk up one for the little guys, who sued the Governor and gained the release of the 3rd quarter motor vehicle tax receipts. But don’t kid yourself. It’s not over.

The Governor lost this one because he didn’t take steps in advance to make his actions legal. He won’t make the same mistake again. Don’t count on the 4th quarter payments coming so easily.

Now we hear that the Superintendent of Schools in Central Falls has sent layoff notices to all the high school teachers. That’s right – all the teachers at the high school. It seems that she wants concessions related to school reform, and she figures that she can get the union to the table by threatening teacher jobs.

Now I’m not here to argue whether or not reforms are needed. I am going to argue, however, about the method being used to try to achieve them - which leads back to my point about the threat to local control.

Did you know that the schools in Central Falls are not administered by the city of Central Falls at all but were taken over by the state of Rhode Island several years ago? So, when the Central Falls superintendent sends layoff notices to all the high school teachers, who do you think is pulling the strings?

If you still don’t get the point, think about this. The state wants the cities and towns to regionalize their schools, especially those within a natural geographic unit like Middletown, Newport, and Portsmouth. What do you think will happen if the cities and towns don’t at least explore the possibilities of regionalization as a way to reduce their budgets and, by extension, the need for state aid?

I am not suggesting that the state will take over the schools on the island the way it did in Central Falls, but I don’t think it’s beyond possibility that, if the state continues to have fiscal problems, it might move from a strong suggestion to a legislated mandate with onerous requirements that might be less attractive to our island towns than a form of regionalization that we could all live with if we did it on our own.

The Wheels of Government Turn Too Slowly - for Kids

Did you ever notice how the wheels of government turn slowly? If anyone in business took as long to make a decision as our public officials do, the business would fail miserably.

At least in education, which is notoriously slow to make improvements, there is an awareness that the clients – the children – need to be served expeditiously. After all, a child is only in Kindergarten, for example, for one year, and a high school senior will be leaving the system shortly so, if there is going to be a change in program or instructional method at any grade level, it better happen sooner rather than later so the client doesn’t miss the boat.

Yet here we are, diddling around, while Rome burns.

What does it take to wake up the communities to the fact that regionalization could improve the education of our children by reducing fixed expenses and improving programs?

Take the high schools as a case in point. Three separate buildings? All in need of very expensive upgrading and renovations? And what about energy efficiency? Do we really need three separate buildings?

Consider this: In my last year as a teacher at Middletown High School, the enrollment was 1250 students; now it hovers around 650. Rogers High School had a similar enrollment at the time; now the enrollment is lower than Middletown’s. Does it still make sense to maintain two separate complex facilities?

Consider this: Advanced Placement courses often do not run (or, if they do, it is at the extravagant cost of 20% of a teacher’s time) because of the low enrollment. ( It’s hard to justify a class of two or four students.) What if there were twice as many because of a combined enrollment? Or three times as many? How many additional AP courses could be available for students?

What if the enrollment were 2,000? Could a single school provide more opportunities? Of course, it could!

I have been an administrator in 2 districts with very large high school enrollments. They offered 4 foreign languages. They had agreements with community colleges that enabled students to take high level technical courses at their high schools and transfer them as advanced credits to the community colleges. The variety of academic programs was amazing, not to mention the abundance of extracurricular and athletic opportunities. Why? Because of the critical mass. There were enough students to support the programs in a centralized location.

But those with the ability to take action are sitting on their hands while our children’s Kindergarten or senior years go by forever.

Regionalization would not be easy. There would be lots of issues to resolve. However, the communities need to honorably and honestly explore the possibilities now. They need to take a stand publicly and make a decision about what is best for the upcoming Kindergartners or the incoming high schoolers on the island, bearing in mind that doing nothing is still a decision for which there are consequences. What if it were your child?

Ensuring Local Control

So what does maintaining local control of the process of the combination of services and/or regionalization actually mean specifically to Middletown, Newport, and Portsmouth?

Well, it means that our communities should act in an official capacity that says we are willing to explore what the combination of services and/or regionalization would mean to us.

We can’t afford to just sit back and hope that the idea will pass us by as it has several times before. This time is different because of the devastating economy and the impact it is having and will continue to have on our municipal and school budgets. No more "This too shall pass."

Our councils need to be proactive by officially appointing subcommittees that can work with the municipal Administrators to gather pertinent information and make recommendations for the individual municipal governments.

Maybe some proposed combinations are not necessary because an individual community is already providing cost effective services, or maybe some combination of services would be more efficient for all. But we won’t find that out by burying our heads in the sand.

Maybe the regionalization of schools makes sense and can provide some direct benefit for each of us, or maybe it doesn’t. We need to look at the issues. I, myself, would not support anything but equalized governance.

An issue like this is an important topic for each municipality to explore, through a group that could define exactly what would be acceptable in combination or under regionalization and exactly what would not and then make recommendations to the councils. Only after official discussions in the individual councils took place would there be any point to further talk with the other councils about the possibilities for combining services or regionalizing.

What point is there in continuing to ignore the inevitable? What good is there in waiting until the inevitable is forced upon us by those upstate who continue to try to solve their problems on our backs? It’s time for our 3 communities to ensure that the decisions made on Aquidneck Island are made by those who live here.

Maintaining Local Control

If you have been reading the newspapers or watching the TV news, you are aware that the Governor wants to withhold the 3rd and 4th payments to the municipalities for the motor vehicle tax collections. Although the motor vehicle tax is collected by the cities and towns, not too many years ago an agreement was made that the funds would go to the state which would then return the funds to the cities and towns on a quarterly basis. (Doesn’t make much sense. Does anyone remember the reason this was done?)

Well, now the Governor proposes to keep the motor vehicle tax that we send upstate to help fill the hole in his state budget. The cities and towns don’t think that this makes much sense either, so they are preparing to sue the Governor to get the promised funds released. Good luck!

The point here is that there doesn’t seem to be much concern by our elected state officials about the way state action impacts the cities and towns, and this should be a real concern for those of us on the island who have been watching the machinations upstate. One of the biggest concerns down here is that the state will try to help us solve our problems by imposing resolutions against our collective will. (After all, they seem to have found a way to keep the money that they promised to return to us.)

In fact, our greatest vulnerability is the resistance to the combination of municipal services and school regionalization. Common sense tells us – and the powers that be upstate - that there is money to be saved by combining at least some of the municipal and school functions instead of conducting 3 individual and separate management systems. The threat of saving us from ourselves should not be minimized.

We are unique within the state because our 3 communities create a natural geographical unity.

Sooner or later, someone upstate is going to suggest that the way to force our island communities to be more fiscally efficient is to mandate that we combine our services. At that point, local control may in many ways become history.

Up to now, our 3 communities have been sitting back and refusing to openly engage in the discussion. Yes, there have been tentative efforts by some of our city, town, and school administrators to explore the possible combination of efforts. But now is the time for the elected officials to set a tone for future action.

Until the city and town councils demonstrate at least a modicum of official support for some combination and/or regionalization of services or functions, the state will regard us as recalcitrant and in need of a push.

If we wish to maintain local control of the process, we need to act now to at least explore the possibilities before us. Such an exploration would not necessarily result in a commitment to action, but it would demonstrate a sincere effort to provide the information to make educated decisions about our future – decisions that should be made by those of us who live here, on the island, not by those in the big city.

Talking About Change

I remember a time when Aquidneck Island was as much a social entity as a geographical one. I rode the bus daily from Middletown to Rogers High School (now Thompson Middle School) and, when the warmer weather arrived, my friends and I walked the 2 miles home across the town line. Portsmouth teenagers were also members of the island’s high school body and, though there were the typical differences - usually based on interests - those in the 3 communities got along pretty well.

Over the years, the 3 island communities gradually grew apart, proudly developing their own unique characters, often centered around the evolving separate school systems. Athletic competitions were entertaining – Rogers vs. Middletown, then Middletown vs. Portsmouth – but the friendly rivalry had the effect of promoting a sense of separateness that gradually permeated other aspects of island life and increased the divisions.

Although the island was traumatized by the exodus of the Navy ships in the early 1970’s, the communities recovered and developed in new directions that further emphasized the uniqueness of their characters. Newport grew into a tourist mecca. Middletown expanded its defense industries. Portsmouth evolved as a rural bedroom community.

The local schools were central to growing families, who watched Little League games and attended choral concerts in their respective locations. The island economy began to expand, the schools were models of educational success, and all was well with Aquidneck Island. Why worry about what was going on upstate? As long as the money flowed downstream, it was business as usual on Aquidneck Island.

Unfortunately, the page has turned on that story for a number of reasons, not the least of which are the economic recession and the budget deficits that will make it difficult, if not impossible, for the island communities to any longer ignore the rest of the state. The problems of the state government are now island problems as well.

If we want to maintain the lifestyle we like on Aquidneck Island, we will have to make some changes in the way we do business, and one place we can start that will make a big difference is in the way we provide services and support education.