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Dear Kammy,

Quite a few questions, but they are intelligent ones so here are your answers.

1. I will guarantee funds are being used as promised because, as I said in my 2016 campaign, "I won't give them a dime until they account to the Mayors office AND The City Council". The Mayor and the City Council promise to be accountable to the taxpayers. The School Committee promises to NOT be. You and I both know that, by charter, we are not allowed to suggest, advise, or influence the School Committee as to how they spend taxpayers money "The minute they receive it." Therefore I will intercede BEFORE they receive it, and yes Kammy, I WILL be accountable to you and the 80,000 taxpayers that are paying the tab.

2. We will fix our outdated schools out of the $160,000,000 we give the School Committee EVERY YEAR. Hey Kammy. If we gave you $160,000,000 a year, do you think you could afford to do some of these renovations and still pay the bills? I do.

3. No. I do not support one "super-school". Warwick has a long tradition of neighborhood schools. I support that idea.

4. See answer 1.

5. What do I see as the delay for improvements that have been needed since 2011?

Mismanagement. Greed. Theft. Padding the staffs of the School Committee (SC) at almost the same rate as they decreased the number of our teachers! Not caring about the students, or the teachers, or the parents, or the 80,000 taxpayers that are paying the tab. Just caring about the School Committee members and staff and their own agenda. When they fired $93,000+- annual salary, David LaPlante for writing checks for his own illegal enterprises, they hired his replacement for about $20,000 MORE per year. I asked a SC member what was their first offer? He/she said that it was the salary he ended up with. I asked "Why didn't you offer $60,000 a year FIRST??" He/she said "That's not the way it's done." Well Kammy, in the private sector that is a $40,000 a year job. In the private sector he would have been offered less; a lot less.

6. This is a painful answer. No. No one wants to close our schools, but we simply don't have the students.The aid Warwick receives from the state increases as the percent-of-students-per-capacity of each school does. Warwick schools are lower in percentage-of-capacity than other schools in other cities. Therefore, Warwick receives less state aid. Note: This does NOT mean percentage of students per classroom, just students per building. The issue of weighting is also an area that needs more improvement, both in Warwick and the state. The best answer is more population. Warwick has lost 5,800 taxpayers (and their students) in the last ten years according to the U.S. Census. Our student population has dropped from a high of 17,000+ to under 9,000 today. The Corrente Plan is aimed at reversing that trend Kammy, and I am committed to reach that goal. Any suggestions you have on bringing in new taxpayers, I will gratefully listen to.

Kammy, I respect you. You and I are often on opposite sides of an issue but your questions are intelligent and your comments are genuine. You said in a previous comment that you want me to ask the School Committee why they don't use the three and a half million (or so) dollars in the health benefits cash reserve fund. I will be there next Tuesday and, as I promised you, I will ask, but the School Committee has stated on many occasions that they refuse to answer any questions at these meetings. Translation "The School Committee will NOT be accountable to the audience, even though the audience pays their salaries."

Merry Christmas Kammy.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Rick Corrente

The Taxpayers Mayor