New School Express
It's been far to long since I updated you on the proposed new school project here in Little Compton. Last Tuesday night, November 10, 2010 the School Committee on a four to one vote, Joe Quinn the only dissenter, approved the recommendations of the School Building Committee and sent the package along to the Town Council for their approval, the last step in the Stage II submission process.
Remember the addition you have been planning, or that garage that you always wanted to build? forget it! The School District needs that money to pay for remodeling the school. According to the latest scheme (their choice of words) the homeowners in Little Compton will have to ante up $34,690,543.00. Let me spell it out: Thirty four million six hundred thousand five hundred and forty three dollars. That is about $15,000.00 for every home in town.
Now the planners will tell you not to worry, the State of Rhode Island is going to reemburse us for 40% of the cost, maybe even an additonal 2% for really green stuff that they plan to do. Even if that happens the taxpayers are still stuck with a 20.1 million dollar bill over the next 20 years.
I don't know about you, but that does not give me a warm and cozy feeling. Even if the State, which is on the brink of bankrupcy, sends some money back to the town, where do they think that money is coming from? It there a money tree that we don't know about growing under the statue of the "Independent Man?"
I'll bet it really makes folks in Tiverton, who are already broke, feel great about having some of their money going to the "rich people" in Little Compton.
I thought for a while that there was a glimmer of hope that our Town Council in their wisdom, would take a hard look at this massive expensive project and say wait a minute we can't afford this 34 million bill, there are only 310 chidren in the school, that's almost $122,000 per kid.
Unfortunately it does not look like that is going to happen.
The School District had until the 19th of November to get the whole Stage II application signed, sealed and delivered. When it became clear that they were not going to make the date, they cut a deal With the Department of Education (RIDE) that is allowing for the submission of an incomplete application. The deal is that the town is going to have about two months to get their act together. In the meantime RIDE will be reviewing the unfinished product that was sent to the Town Council who will broom it to the State.
It looks to me like Joe da Silva from RIDE is bending over backwards to make this project happen. I can understand that, Joe needs work to justify his existance. Times are really tight right now and there are not a lot of towns that can really afford these big school projects right now.
Should worse come to worse and the State gives it's blessing to this massive project you and I are going to have the final word. The school building program advocates are calling for a Special Financial Town Meeting next year to approve funding for a Bond Issue to pay for the project.
It doesn't matter that the RIDE regulations call for a referrendum, the school house gang want's a Special Financial Town Meeting. Surprise, surprise.
I can see it now, the Wilbur & McMahon Gym packed to the rafters with Mom's Dad's, Grandmothers and Grandfathers, Aunts & Uncles, friends and neighbors of "the Kids" all eager to have us plunk down 34 million bucks for a virtual new school. The Gym has a capacity of 700, there are more than 2500 registered voters, somebody is going to be left outside. It will be chaotic!
The only fair and open proceadure is a referrendum where the folks can show up between 8:00 AM and 9:00 PM to cast their votes just like a regular election. The stage is already set for this upcoming battle. I will keep you posted.
In my next article I am going to expose the courrupt process that has taken place over the past four plus years during this whole school building debacle.
In the meanwhile please contact your Town Council members to express your opinions and concearns about this whole sorted affair.
Sarge
Remember the addition you have been planning, or that garage that you always wanted to build? forget it! The School District needs that money to pay for remodeling the school. According to the latest scheme (their choice of words) the homeowners in Little Compton will have to ante up $34,690,543.00. Let me spell it out: Thirty four million six hundred thousand five hundred and forty three dollars. That is about $15,000.00 for every home in town.
Now the planners will tell you not to worry, the State of Rhode Island is going to reemburse us for 40% of the cost, maybe even an additonal 2% for really green stuff that they plan to do. Even if that happens the taxpayers are still stuck with a 20.1 million dollar bill over the next 20 years.
I don't know about you, but that does not give me a warm and cozy feeling. Even if the State, which is on the brink of bankrupcy, sends some money back to the town, where do they think that money is coming from? It there a money tree that we don't know about growing under the statue of the "Independent Man?"
I'll bet it really makes folks in Tiverton, who are already broke, feel great about having some of their money going to the "rich people" in Little Compton.
I thought for a while that there was a glimmer of hope that our Town Council in their wisdom, would take a hard look at this massive expensive project and say wait a minute we can't afford this 34 million bill, there are only 310 chidren in the school, that's almost $122,000 per kid.
Unfortunately it does not look like that is going to happen.
The School District had until the 19th of November to get the whole Stage II application signed, sealed and delivered. When it became clear that they were not going to make the date, they cut a deal With the Department of Education (RIDE) that is allowing for the submission of an incomplete application. The deal is that the town is going to have about two months to get their act together. In the meantime RIDE will be reviewing the unfinished product that was sent to the Town Council who will broom it to the State.
It looks to me like Joe da Silva from RIDE is bending over backwards to make this project happen. I can understand that, Joe needs work to justify his existance. Times are really tight right now and there are not a lot of towns that can really afford these big school projects right now.
Should worse come to worse and the State gives it's blessing to this massive project you and I are going to have the final word. The school building program advocates are calling for a Special Financial Town Meeting next year to approve funding for a Bond Issue to pay for the project.
It doesn't matter that the RIDE regulations call for a referrendum, the school house gang want's a Special Financial Town Meeting. Surprise, surprise.
I can see it now, the Wilbur & McMahon Gym packed to the rafters with Mom's Dad's, Grandmothers and Grandfathers, Aunts & Uncles, friends and neighbors of "the Kids" all eager to have us plunk down 34 million bucks for a virtual new school. The Gym has a capacity of 700, there are more than 2500 registered voters, somebody is going to be left outside. It will be chaotic!
The only fair and open proceadure is a referrendum where the folks can show up between 8:00 AM and 9:00 PM to cast their votes just like a regular election. The stage is already set for this upcoming battle. I will keep you posted.
In my next article I am going to expose the courrupt process that has taken place over the past four plus years during this whole school building debacle.
In the meanwhile please contact your Town Council members to express your opinions and concearns about this whole sorted affair.
Sarge
posted by Kevin Paul Healey at
6:55 AM
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