Coventry School Budget: Where Are We Now?

COVENTRY, RI — When Coventry students left school at the end of the last year, a lot was uncertain. In the wake of a town-wide budget crisis, everything from teacher jobs to after-school programs to the school day itself was at risk of deep financial cuts.

Since then, things have come a long way. On June 13, voters approved an amended budget to fund town and school services, creating a clear path forward for the town. Teachers were recalled and the high school avoided double-sessions. Today, Superintendent Craig Levis said things are looking up.

"This has been one of the most positive starts to the school year that I've experienced," Levis said.

However, there have been changes and budget cuts to adhere to the pared-down budget approved by voters, Levis added.

The biggest changes have been to personnel, he said. When the first budget was struck down, nearly every teacher in the school system was temporarily laid off to allow the district the flexibility to restructure as needed. After the new budget was approved, recall issues were quickly issued, though, for some, it was too late.

Several newer, young teachers chose to find a new job in a different district, rather than stay and risk annual layoffs. Some older teachers also chose to leave, choosing early retirement or employment elsewhere. This is a loss the district acutely feels, Levis said, as classrooms are now more crowded and these smart, competent teachers are no longer a part of the Coventry school community.

"A lot of our elementary school classes are now completely full," Levis said. "So if a child moves to Coventry in the middle of the school year, they would have to be displaced."

Displacing students puts them in class farther from home. If a child moves into the Western Coventry Elementary school area, but there's no room in the classrooms, he or she will be forced to go to school at a different elementary school within the district.

The middle and high school are feeling the pinch as well, Levis said, with larger class sizes and little room for expansion.

Because so many teachers chose to leave, the district was able to save enough money to keep after-school activities and sports teams intact. Initially, the district planned to make cuts to these activities to help make up deficits in the budget.

One of the largest, long-term impacts of the smaller budget is a lack of resources for capital improvements, Levis said, a long-running issue for the town. While some money has been allocated to maintaining school facilities, there is not enough to put towards larger improvement projects or new initiatives. One example of this: the district hoped to create a new maintenance position to keep the floors in the middle and high school clean. Under the current budget, that position remains unfilled.

Several other positions have been eliminated, mostly administrative and supervisory roles.

Even though classes have only just begun, preparations are already underway for next year. Planning has already begun for the next budget, Levis said, with a variety of options under consideration to trim the budget and maximize efficiency.

"Next year's budget will be just as challenging," Levis said. "But everything is on the table."

Before drafting the budget, the school committee and district administrators will take a hard look at contracts such as energy and even the copy machine providers to see what could be improved.

"We need the support of the community," Levis said. "We're going to need to engage the community and we need more participation early on."

Patch's full coverage of the Coventry budget crisis:

• Second Time's The Charm: Coventry Voters Approve Amended Budget
• Emotions Run High Ahead Of Second Coventry Budget Vote
• Coventry Town Manager: 'Very Real Impacts' If New Budget Fails
• Coventry Residents To Vote On New Budget June 13
• Coventry Town Council Adopts New Budget, Residents To Vote
• Breaking Down The Numbers: Coventry's Four Budget Options
• 385 Coventry Teachers Receive Precautionary Pink Slips
• Coventry Community Irate As 500 Teacher Layoffs Loom
• Double Sessions, Teacher Layoffs Planned For Coventry Schools