Consolidation and Redistricting Advisory Committee

March 11, 2008

Advisory CommitteePeter P. Horoschak Superintendent & Advisory Committee

ChairRobert Bushell Director of Elementary EducationRichard D’Agostino Director of Special ServicesVictor Mercurio Director of Secondary EducationFrank Ricci Principal of John Brown Francis

Elementary SchoolRonald Areglado Principal of John Greene Elementary

SchoolWilliam Sangster Principal of Aldrich Junior High SchoolSamuel Holtzman President of Warwick Teachers UnionCherie Nickerson President of Warwick Independent School

Employees UnionJeannie Petit Elementary Teacher at Chrisopher RhodesDonna Murgo Secondary Teacher at Samuel Gorton

Junior High SchoolLinda Sheehan Teacher Assistant at Pilgrim High SchoolConnie Jaquith Warwick Council PTA PresidentGina Morgan Middle School Parent, Aldrich Junior High

SchoolJillian Saytes Elementary School Parent, Greenwood

Elementary School

The Problem To SolveReduce Expenditures to balance 2008-2009

School Department Budget

Projected Deficit: $5,978,333

Assumes Flat State Aid: $36,752,198(Each percent decrease would increase deficit by $367,521)

Assumes 5% Increase in City Appropriation: $123,968,068

(Each percent decrease would increase deficit by $1,180,500)

Data Used To Analyze School Consolidation Options

Student Impact Data Number of students (by grade) to be reassigned Receiving school class size changes Special needs students affected Retention in Elementary to JHS/SHS feeder patterns Decline in Student Enrollment

School Impact Data Classroom capacity Building use changes Availability of rooms for itinerate programs Availability of rooms for special needs programs Expansion of school attendance zones Potential effects of airport expansion and new

housing development

Financial Impact

Savings from personnel reductions

Savings in operational costs

Financial gains by relocating Special Education Programs

Savings through deferment of capital improvements

Cost of maintaining unused facilities

Additional transportation costs

Criteria Used to Make Consolidation/Redistricting

Recommendation1. The resulting configuration must accommodate

the RIDE regulations for school improvement.2. Students from schools that are consolidated

should remain in the current junior and senior high school feeder patterns.

3. Maximum savings achieved from personnel reductions, limiting additional transportation costs, minimizing building operations costs, and the deferment of expenditures for renovation and safety code compliance.

4. Consideration of contingency plans regarding airport expansion and housing development.

Factors Considered for School Consolidation

• Redistricting all schools occurs when schools are overpopulated

• Keeping the same junior/senior high feeder pattern

• Maintaining programs that meet the expectations of state and federal mandates

• Number of students in the school being closed

• Student spaces available in the receiving

schools

• Title I/Literacy students

Cont’d: Factors Considered for School Consolidation

• Bussing routes

• Location of school in relation to other schools receiving students

• Community programs (Boys and Girls Club)

• Number of special education classes/programs that will have to be relocated

• Resources available for special needs students

• Uniqueness of school attendance pattern

• Future airport expansion

Feeder Patterns for Junior/Senior Schools

W/Current Schools Toll Gate Enroll. Pilgrim Enroll. Veterans

Enroll.

Cedar Hill 384 Francis 296 Greene 232 Drum Rock 316 Holden 247 Lippitt 256 Greenwood 266 Holliman 315 Oakland Beach 349 Potowomut 111 Hoxsie 326 Park 254 Robertson 246 Norwood 231 Sherman 330 Scott 290 Rhodes 259 Warwick Neck 254 Wickes 305 Wyman 262 Totals 1,918 1,936 1,675

W/Closed Schools Apponaug Conimicut Bayside Cowesett Lakewood Buttonwoods Central Lincoln Park Natick Hillsgrove Pontiac Spring Green

Impact of Additional Students

Schools New

Students

New Enroll

1-6

Wt. Avg. Now

Wt. Avg. New

1-6 Avg. Now

1-6 Avg. New

Split Classes

Additional Teachers

DrumRock/Greenwood 39 278 20.75 20.92 19.44 19.75 0 0 DrumRock/Robertson 63 328 18.36 24.17 16.36 22.50 0 1 Scott/Robertson 27 DrumRock/Scott 75 324 22.54 23.50 21.58 20.57 0 2 DrumRock/Wickes 76 430 18.85 23.47 17.38 22.00 0 2 Greenwood/Wickes 23

Schools New

Students

New Enroll

1-6

Wt. Avg. Now

Wt. Avg. New

1-6 Avg. Now

1-6 Avg. New

Split Classes

Additional Teachers

Rhodes/Francis 41 338 22.79 24.35 21.00 22.62 1 1 or 2 Rhodes/Holliman 33 356 18.89 20.93 20.33 22.58 0 2 Rhodes/Norwood 62 285 21.83 22.79 19.25 20.75 0 0 Rhodes/Wyman 67 350 22.04 24.36 19.75 22.29 2 2

Schools New

Students

New Enroll

1-6

Wt. Avg. Now

Wt. Avg. New

1-6 Avg. Now

1-6 Avg. New

Split Classes

Additional Teachers

Potowomut/Cedar Hill 111 441 20.78 19.38 21.66 20.58 0 3 or 4

Projected Consolidation of Warwick Schools Special Services Report

The recommendation of the redistricting/consolidation committee was to consolidate the following three elementary schools: Drum Rock, Potowomut and Rhodes. The following presentation is based on that recommendation.

What types of services are available to students? Resource or supportive services Resource or intensive services Inclusion services, both intensive/supportive Self-contained

Services can vary by time and number of studentsRange of services by grade PK through 12+Services can vary from monitoring through full-time self-contained

Beginning with Potowomut School, the recommendation is to consolidate Potowomut with Cedar Hill. Both schools are high performing. Potowomut is an inclusion school (support services provided to students in their own classrooms). Cedar Hill is not. By combining these two schools and the special education staff from each, Cedar Hill will be able to move towards being a full inclusion school.

Potowomutprojected spec. needs students - 10 (3 non-home

school)Cedar Hill

projected spec. needs students - 7 primary self-contained9 interm. self-contained11 resource

Combined Special Ed. Staff4 teachers, 3 teaching assistants / 37 (1 DR)

Rhodes School is recommended to be consolidated with the following schools: Norwood, Francis, Holliman and Wyman. All schools are high performing schools. Holliman is an inclusion school. Rhodes, Francis, Norwood and Wyman are not.

Rhodes has 3 self-contained classes:Primary - 9 students (5 non-home school)Intermediate - 5 students (1 non-home school)Special K - 7 students (6 non-home school)

(regional classroom)

The Special K will be relocated to another school.Primary class, non home school will return to their home school. The special education staff could be used to develop an inclusion program at either Norwood or Wyman. The third staff member could be used at Francis to develop a primary self-contained program which would add to that school’s continuum of services.

School Incoming

Students Incoming

Sp. Ed. Students Current Sp. Ed.

Students

Totals

Francis* 41 2 res 1 int (p) 22 25 Holliman 33 2 res 1 int (p) 28 31 Norwood* 62 4 res 2 int (p) 12 18 Wyman* 67 7 res 3 int (1p, 2 inter) 24 34

* = Indicates a self-contained classroom.

Drum Rock is recommended to be consolidated with the following schools: Greenwood, Robertson, Scott, and Wickes. All schools are high performing schools. Greenwood, Scott and Wickes are inclusion schools. Robertson is not.

The two self-contained classrooms at Drum Rock will be relocated to Greenwood. This will serve two purposes: 1) it will keep the number of self-contained classrooms in the Winman feeder area consistent and 2) it will provide another level of services for students in the Greenwood area. In addition, the special education staff could also be relocated to the Robertson School to provide resource support to begin an inclusion program.

School Incoming

Students Incoming

Sp. Ed. Students Current

Sp. Ed. Students Totals

Greenwood 39 0 res 20 20 Robertson* 63 2 res 19 21 Scott 75 5 res 27 32 Wickes 76

23 (Grwd) 3 res 6 res

10 10

13 16

*=Indicates a self-contained classroom.

Early Childhood Center Proposal

In addition to the consolidation of Drum Rock School with the neighboring schools, it is also proposed that the school building’s purpose be rededicated to that of an early childhood center that would also serve the students and families of the Winman feeder district. This proposal is based on the following points:

1. During the 2008-2009 school year, the last of the outside tuition preschool placements, West Bay Children’s Center and Y’s Owl, will be relocated within our school district. The projected savings will be approximately $380,000.00.

2. Also, due to the consolidation of schools in the Winman feeder area, it is required that the preschool programs located at Cedar Hill (2) and Robertson (1) be relocated to other school locations, preferably in the Winman feeder area.

3. The consolidation of the Rhodes School also requires the relocation of a regional Special K program at that school, as well as the relocation of the Occupational and Physical Therapists office.

Cont’d: Early Childhood Center Proposal

4. At Winman Jr. High School space is limited. The VOWS occupy one and a half rooms. The school is in need of both conference and meeting spaces. The VOWS are cramped and in need of additional space. Relocating the VOWS would be a benefit to both groups.

5. At Lippitt School, Child Outreach (responsible for identification and screening of all preschoolers ages 3-5) occupies two classrooms. If Outreach were to be relocated, a much needed self-contained classroom could be placed at this school.

6. The ESY (Extended School Year) program has resided at Drum Rock for the past 15 years. This is the only school to be completely handicapped accessible and air-conditioned in the district because of the summer population it serves. The playground has had substantial improvements and is totally fenced in for safety. It is a significant consideration to have the ESY program remain at Drum Rock.

Summary

For these reasons, the consolidation of schools is a very important issue not only for the students that presently attend these schools that are being considered, but also for the possibilities that consolidation offers to new students. By relocating these services in one of these consolidated schools, preferably Drum Rock, the above issues are addressed. In addition, by utilizing Drum Rock there exists the possibility for future expansion of programs and the creation of a preschool clinic in the Winman feeder area. The cost would be nominal due to the fact that all relocated staffing positions are presently funded.

SCHOOL CLOSING SAVINGS ESTIMATES FOR POTOWOMUT, RHODES AND REUSE OF DRUM ROCK AS AN EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING

CENTERPotowomut Drum Rock Rhodes

SALARIESTeachers - Classroom $139,368 $278,736 $278,736Teachers - Itinerant $92,912 $139,368 $139,368Principal $87,126 $92,572 $90,757Elementary Secretary $22,638 $22,638 $22,638Custodial Staff $66,539 $35,027 $66,539Teacher Assistants/Kindergarten $0 $25,238 $25,238Lunch Aides $12,014 $15,018 $18,021

TOTAL $420,597 $608,597 $641,297BENEFITS

Teachers - Classroom $77,719 $144,951 $144,951Teachers - Itinerant $51,813 $67,904 $67,904Principal $35,061 $36,287 $35,879Elementary Secretary $9,403 $9,403 $9,403Custodial Staff $41,977 $21,281 $41,977Teacher Assistants/Kindergarten $0 $19,651 $19,651Lunch Staff $919 $1,105 $1,379

TOTAL $216,893 $300,584 $321,144

BUILDING MAINTENANCEUtilities $43,204 $10,275 $76,530Materials & Supplies $9,714 $1,827 $17,386

TOTAL $52,918 $12,102 $93,916

EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER Eliminate Tuition Costs to Wise Owl and West Bay Preschools $380,000

TOTAL $0 $380,000 $0

TOTAL - DIRECT SAVINGS $690,408 $1,301,283 $1,056,357

ADDITIONAL COSTSBUSES ($57,229 PER BUS) ($57,229) ($114,458) ($171,687)MOTHBALL BUILDINGS

One-Time Cost ($2,520) $0 ($2,830)Annual Cost ($6,750) $0 ($9,150)

TOTAL - NET SAVINGS $623,909 $1,186,825 $872,690

Potowomut Drum Rock Rhodes

Cont’d: SCHOOL CLOSING SAVINGS ESTIMATES FOR POTOWOMUT, RHODES AND REUSE OF DRUM ROCK AS AN EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING CENTER

AVOIDED COSTS Potowomut Drum Rock Rhodes2006 Bond Issue Improvements $332,724 $1,419,365 $501,188Additional Work Needed

Deleted from 2006 Bond Issue $835,891 $0 $1,028,496Computerized Electric Power Distribution $85,275 $0 $148,294Replace Steam Heating Systems $153,000 $0 $780,000

TOTAL - AVOIDED COSTS $1,406,890 $1,419,365 $2,457,978

TOTAL - NET SAVINGS $623,909 $1,186,825 $872,690TOTAL - AVOIDED COSTS $1,406,890 $1,419,365 $2,457,978

GRAND TOTAL $2,030,799 $2,606,190 $3,330,668

Cont’d: SCHOOL CLOSING SAVINGS ESTIMATES FOR POTOWOMUT, RHODES AND REUSE OF DRUM ROCK AS AN EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING CENTER

SUMMARYSCHOOL CLOSING SAVINGS

POTOWOMUT, DRUM ROCK AND RHODES

POTOWOMUT $623,909DRUM ROCK $1,186,825RHODES $872,690

Net Savings $2,683,424

POTOWOMUT $1,406,890DRUM ROCK $1,419,365RHODES $2,457,978

Net Savings $5,284,233

POTOWOMUT $2,030,799DRUM ROCK $2,606,190RHODES $3,330,668

Net Savings $7,967,657

NET OPERATING COST SAVINGS ONLY

AVOIDED COSTS ONLY

NET OPERATING COST SAVINGS AND AVOIDED COSTS