It’s winter, but the glacier relationship between the city administration and City Council and school administration and School Committee is showing signs of thawing.

Yesterday Mayor Scott Avedisian was joined by Council President Donna Travis along with Superintendent Philip Thornton, School Committee chair Beth Furtado and members Terri Medeiros and Eugene Nadeau to announce city support to pay half of the cost – a total of about $400,000 for the first year – of an additional $5 million in school bonding. The $5 million is part of a $25 million general obligation school bond approved by voters in 2006. Of the bond, Thornton said $3 million would be used to upgrade the heating and air condition system at Vets High that as of next August will become a junior/middle school with the closure of Gorton and Aldrich Junior Highs. He said the remaining $1.5 million would go for additional improvements at Vets as well as at Pilgrim that will absorb the majority of the Vets students displaced with elimination of that high school.

Avedisian said the “tone and tenor” of the relationship between the city and schools “has changed dramatically.” He said the agreement is for this coming year only and it would be reviewed going forward.

That may be the intent, but for the plan to work it needs School Committee and City Council approval.

Nadeau, who has consistently argued that Warwick is the only municipality requiring schools to repay general obligation bonds, called the plan a start. Following the announcement in the mayor’s office, Nadeau said schools are paying $1.2 million annually in bond interest and principal costs that the city should be covering.

“We’re required to pay $200,000 [half the projected $400,000], that’s an outrage, it’s not our responsibility,” he said.

Avedisian said council members Steve Colantuono, Travis and Camille Vella-Wilkinson have agreed to co-sponsor the legislation on the city side.

“Yesterday is the past and today is the future,” Furtado said. “We are doing what we can to repair the relationship and it’s really happening.”

Avedisian said he has had more communication with Thornton who came aboard this fall than for the last two superintendents combined. He said Thornton has provided a detailed list of improvements to be made with the $5 million and he applauded the superintendent’s reorganization plan designed to meet the challenges of school consolidation.

In what would appear as evidence of the new cooperative spirit, Travis said she is supportive of having schools “invest” the $4.8 million Thornton hopes to save with the elimination of nearly 48 school positions. Those savings he hopes to use to meet additional costs of busing, Chromebooks for all 7th graders and to pay for a new teacher contract.

Avedisian has already committed to having schools retain savings it might garner through consolidation.

For his part, Thornton said “it would be wonderful” if he can come in with a level funded budget request. “We want to provide what’s best for kids,” he cautioned.

“This shows we can work together,” said Travis. “I want to see the middle school, the all-day kindergarten and the technology and I want to go forward.”

Avedisian said a $5 million allocation would leave about $8 million from the $25 million bond approved in 2006.

“For years there has not been a lot of trust between the two entities,” Avedisian said. He added, “Beth helps in that role.”

Furtado said, “We believe this is a first step…finger pointing is not helpful, so we start anew.”