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When the School Committee voted to end the ALAP program in Warwick I knew people would chose to leave Warwick Public Schools. This program served nearly 5% of the Elementary population and did it with the salary of only 2.5 teachers. The schools stated this would save $350,000. The fact is the teachers were moved to the regular classroom and their salaries were not a savings. Three of the newest Warwick Teachers were laid off for a savings of approximately $165,000. For each student who attends Warwick Public schools, the schools get funding from the State. This funding is approximately $8000 per student. This means that if only 21 elementary students formerly enrolled in ALAP decided to go to a private school the savings would be wiped out. I stated this several times during the school committee meetings. The decision was made to cut the program. I have been contacted by many alap families and I know the schools have lost at least 21 former alap students. The proposed savings has not occurred and the schools have lost more than just funding, we have lost our brightest students to private schools. In addition to this loss in state funding, you will see our NECAP scores drop as a result of this shortsighted decision. When NECAP scores drop their will an outcry by the for results. You will not be able to bring the students back because you have lost their trust that you care about the education for all the students. ALAP students always scored in the 90th percentile on NECAP. There was a promise to do differentiated learning in the classroom. My daughter is still in the classroom and she says when she finishes her assignment many times she is told to read quietly and do any extra exercises (additional questions) on the assignment and help other students who need help. The fact is she always finished first and read quietly, she always did the extra questions and she would also help someone who needed it... SO, my question is, WHAT IS SHE OR ANY STUDENTS GETTING FOR DIFFERENTIATED LEARNING? They cut a program, they didn't see a savings and the bar has been lowered for education in Warwick. This is a reason why parents are pulling their students out of Warwick Public schools. The schools should have made a decision to close a school this year. I know 2 members wanted to make the decision and three did not want to close the school. We have empty classrooms and we are cancelling great programs to keep empty classrooms. This is not the right thing to do. It is a great school system that attracts families to cities. Make the schools great again and people will move here. Continue to let them deteriorate and we will not recover. Why are we putting more money into sewers than we are into schools unless we want to flush our entire city down the drain? Fix the problems by studying the issues, have the guts to make the right decision and we can grow our city.

From: Concerns over student loss to private schools

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