Committee finds funds to save guidance counselors

By Ethan Hartley
Posted 8/17/17

By ETHAN HARTLEY -- Warwick School Committee members David Testa and Karen Bachus successfully carved out $155,000 from the FY18 Warwick Public Schools budget to save 1.5 elementary guidance counselor positions, out of the six total that were laid off.

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Committee finds funds to save guidance counselors

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Warwick School Committee members David Testa and Karen Bachus successfully carved out $155,000 from the FY18 Warwick Public Schools budget to save 1.5 elementary guidance counselor positions, out of the six total that were laid off, at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Warwick School Committee, held at Toll Gate High School.

Testa proposed cuts to seven line items amounting to $115,000, which included cutting $35,000 intended to go towards a new maintenance vehicle, a $20,000 cut to the HVAC maintenance budget, a $20,000 cut to the school’s website development and various $10,000 cuts to utilities such as natural gas.

“I am not yet convinced that eliminating elementary guidance is the correct course,” Testa said. “I have some lingering concerns, specifically who is going to go into the classrooms to teach the specific skills of our elementary guidance curriculum? Our students are coming to school today with far more issues and baggage than when we were students...The school day time pie is only so big.”

There was no dissent to the cuts from others on the committee, however Testa did vocalize some frustrations that his original plan to get back more guidance counselors by re-purposing an additional $200,000 – which is scheduled to be spent on high school technology reintegration specialists – was foiled, because those fulltime positions are funded through federal Title II money and cannot be re-purposed as such, as was pointed out by finance director, Anthony Ferrucci.

“I won’t say the word I’m thinking of right now,” Testa said after being told the bad news, obviously deflated.

Later, Bachus would propose cutting funding for the remainder of the communications development budget and the money that would go to continuing the services of the public relations firm, Martin and Associates, which would have amounted to $120,000.

“I just don't think we need it,” Bachus said of the expenses. “We need to bring back our teachers and our guidance counselors that we laid off first, before we do anything else.”

This measure was ultimately voted down, however Bachus would prove successful in getting an additional $40,000 cut from the budget by eliminating funding for a “Common Core teacher” position, which had been budgeted for the past few years. The vote brought a thunderous applause and cheers from those in attendance.

“If they don’t know how to teach it by now, they never will,” Bachus said.

The money made available won’t go as far as some may hope though, as the schools are contractually obligated to bring back guidance positions at the top funding level, meaning they must hire back the positions making $100,000 a year, including benefits, first. With just $155,000 freed up, this will only make way for one full time counselor and one part time to cover all the elementary schools in the district.

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  • richardcorrente

    Karen Bachus and David Testa had the opportunity to spend taxpayers money on the services of a public relations firm for the benefit of the School Committee (SC), or on salaries to bring back teachers and guidance councilors, and they chose the later. That is leadership. That is putting the needs of the students FIRST. They were trying to spend our taxpayers money wisely. That will go a long way toward rebuilding the trust that has eroded in the SC.

    Well done.

    The fact that it was outvoted shows what the rest of the School Committee is focused on, but Bachus and Testa are emerging as leaders. Hopefully others will follow their students-first lead.

    Happy Summer Karen and Dave

    Happy Summer everyone.

    Rick Corrente

    The Taxpayers Mayor

    Thursday, August 17, 2017 Report this

  • MisterP

    First of all the headline is misleading. Only 1 and 1/2 councilors were funded. The second thing I don't understand is why the committee or a member of the committee can't just order the superintendent to present a second budget with guidance funded and cuts made. He creates the budget and he works for the school committee. Oh, I get it, there needs to be three committee members to order him to do that. Instead we have two members trying to do what's right in an area which is hard to navigate without any help from the person in the room who is suppose to have the expertise in the budget. It is obvious things need to change.

    Monday, August 21, 2017 Report this