West Warwick

Trading Schools for Raises

By Justin Katz | February 17, 2010 |

The Newport Daily News isn’t very friendly about putting information online, so I don’t have a link to the story, but I read this weekend that the Tiverton School Committee is floating the idea of closing the town’s high school. In hopes of saving $450,000, as I recall, the town would either send its students…

Caruolo Not a Foregone Conclusion

By Justin Katz | July 2, 2009 |

As a threatening cudgel to wave during negotiations and town meetings — allowing school committees to declare that they’ll just take what they “need” and unions contriving to force them to do so — the Caruolo Act is still an insidious force in Rhode Island politics. But with the move being denied in West Warwick,…

Private School as Money Saver

By Justin Katz | June 28, 2009 |

Think about this, from amidst the continuing saga of the West Warwick school budget: After one resident learned that it costs about $15,000 to educate each child in West Warwick, she suggested that the town simply send its students to private Catholic schools. [Town Council Member Angelo] Padula quickly agreed, saying, “If we sent 200…

When Negotiators Are Using Monopoly Money

By Justin Katz | June 25, 2009 |

Think of the attitude expressed, here, by West Warwick School Committee Chairwoman Lindagay Palazzo: “Regardless, whether we win or lose [their Caruolo lawsuit], the town is responsible for our bills,” Palazzo said. “They’re going to have to pay them anyway.” One wonders what effect that point of view has on Mrs. Palazzo’s negotiation tactics. One…

WW Teachers’ Alliance Takes Legal Action Against an Event that Has Not Yet Taken Place

By Monique Chartier | June 5, 2009 |

Is this even legally feasible? A formal complaint has been filed against the school department and the Town of West Warwick by Donald Vanasse, President of the West Warwick Teachers’ Alliance, citing an impending failure to pay accrued wages and salaries. He has reason to believe that there will be a failure to pay the…

WW Voters to WW Budgeters: No, Thanks

By Monique Chartier | May 20, 2009 |

Dateline: Takebackourtownville. Taxpayers defeated the municipal budget, school budget, and voted down any tax levy with a resounding majority at the Town Financial Meeting last night. Of the 416 voters counted by the West Warwick Board of Canvassers in a ballot vote, 333 voted against the municipal budget presented by the town council at $30,512,700,…

… Is Someone Looking for Solicitor Williamson’s Legal Fees?

By Monique Chartier | March 9, 2009 |

Here they are. 2004 Budgeted for “Administration”: $100,000 Paid to Inman & Tourgee: $163,387 2005 Budgeted for “Administration”: $70,000 Paid to Inman & Tourgee: $135,044 2006 Budgeted for “Administration”: $70,000 Paid to Inman & Tourgee: $150,227 2007 Budgeted for “Administration”: $75,000 Paid to Inman & Tourgee: $120,327 2008 Budgeted for “Administration”: $75,000 Paid to Inman…

Okay, An Even Swap – the Pension Actuaries for the Country Club Tax Records

By Monique Chartier | March 2, 2009 |

From Friday’s Kent County Times: On Feb. 19, [State Senator Michael] Pinga requested the tax records of the West Warwick Country Club, which Jim Williamson is co-owner of. Pinga said he did so because “someone,” who he said he would not identify, “notified me that he [Jim Williamson] received a tax abatement and I want…

West Warwick Teacher Layoffs

By Marc Comtois | February 18, 2009 |

In the ProJo story about West Warwick handing out 188 layoff notices (wow!), there was this little nugget: State law requires that teachers be notified by March 1 that they will no longer have jobs the following September, and many school districts routinely send out pink slips by the deadline while acknowledging that most, if…

A Cause of This Effect

By Justin Katz | February 9, 2009 |

Things don’t look good in West Warwick: There are no solutions to their immediate fiscal problem. In fact, their current deficit is projected to balloon into a $10-million deficit in the years ahead if nothing is done. So school officials have worked “seven days a week” to come up with a three-year plan that would…