Templeton Cuts School Budget

Templeton Cuts School Budget A few teachers and other staffers to be eliminated

+ click to enlarge News staff photos by Tara Vocino Speech language pathologist Kelly Dolan urged School Committee members not to cut behavioral specialist Jodi Kirby’s position at the School Committee meeting on Wednesday. Tara Vocino Reporter TEMPLETON  The Narragansett Regional School District started off the budget process with a projected deficit of $593,946 in its operating budget for fiscal 2017 and they’ve whittled it down to $12,904. According to Business Manager Ann Marie Geyster, the budget subcommittee recommended a $19.4 million budget to the School Committee last Wednesday. The budget process began in December, and it has been ongoing since then. In order to make up for this shortfall, a few items had to be cut. “We aren’t going to hire a fifth-grade teacher or a high school business teacher,” Geyster said. “We don’t have money to fund them.” That amounts to budget reductions: $36,708 for the fifth-grade teacher and $50,928 for the business teacher. Among other reductions, substitute teachers’ salary was cut by a few thousand dollars along with a few thousand in library supplies. They also plan to add $160,000 in School Choice students. Speech language pathologist Kelly Dolan went before the School Committee on Wednesday to discuss her colleagues’ concern about losing the behavioral specialist position. That amounts to a $14,102 budget reduction. Dolan called Jodi Kirby, the behavioral specialist, part of the glue that holds the school together. “What is going to happen when we don’t have this position anymore,” Dolan asked. “Teachers are going to have to take time out of their teaching day to deal with problems, and students aren’t going to have a safe place to go for breaks.” Dolan said staff understand that budget cuts have to be made, but she encouraged School Committee members to take into consideration their thoughts if the position is cut. “Positive behaviors now will decrease the amount of problems that happen at the middle school and high school levels,” Dolan said. “We are the foundation. Jodi is the cement that holds it all together.” Dolan said Kirby researched Thinking for a Change, where children are taught better ways to handle their conflicts at home and with others. Teachers signed her letter, and she attached two students’ names who, she said, have been successful because of the program. School Committee members publicly welcomed incoming Principal Mandy Vasil and new Director of Buildings and Grounds Rick Moulton on Wednesday. Interim Superintendent of Schools Dr. Steve Hemman introduced them. School Committee Vice Chairman Margaret Hughes thanked Vasil and Moulton for taking time out of their lives to come. “Were happy to have you both here,” Hughes said. There will be a budget hearing on Wednesday, March 23, at 6 p.m. in the kiva. The School Committee will vote on the budget at at meeting at 6 p.m. on March 30 in the kiva.