I agree with you on the Council holding fast, about time all Councils started doing It. Why a budget any budget must increase every year, with not a single cut or stream lining, not to mention waste, fraud and abuse, that occurs at all levels of any government agency is fiscal madness. It is about time we look at the root causes of the systems failure.

It is time to come up with a realistic plan to not repair, but replace the educational system in this State and get the federal government out of its work around to force states to bow to their biddng with grants and bribes that are nothing more than national control of the system. Which by the way is a Contitutional violation for them to be involved in Education in the first place, hense the work around of bribes.

The Constitution reserved the education to the States in the Republic, and forbid the Federal Government from it, for good reason. A government that can control the education of the youth, is nothing more than a tolitarian society, that rob individual of freedom. Basic Education is what advances a society, not government indoctrination.

No amont of money has solved a single thing in this education system in this state, because the system is flawed and beyond help. Though we have moved up by your number of 32nd Marina, we were 41st a few years ago. We are still the 5th highest paid teachers in the Country and last place in education in New England.

I would love to have a politican explain that!!!!

Statistics are easily skewed... Did you know that federal employees who work in the Boston area (RI counts as "Boston area") receive a locality pay increase which is one of the highest in the country? That's because the cost of living in this area is one of the highest in the country.... I could buy 2 mansions in Tennessee for what I paid for my modest raised ranch...
Perhaps teachers get paid more in our area because cost of living is higher in this area? If teachers in FL got paid what we get paid here, they'd be living large. I promise you, sir, that I'm not living large. My 1995 Toyota Camry gets me to my teaching job most days without a problem and thank god for my couponing - otherwise we'd be eating Ramen noodles and store brand mac n' cheese every night.

Let's first confirm that Warren's Town Manager requested a complete copy of the Bristol-Warren School budget and was denied. If that is so, we need to inquire and confirm who denied the request and the reason(s) for doing so. Then we decide what, if any, action is warranted.
As for taking the first step to making the school budget process efficient and effective, the state statute requiring level funding of education budgets needs to be addressed. i believe that under present state law town councils, town managers/administrators, school committees and school finance committees are not allowed to reduce budgets below current funding. They can only only keep budgets at present levels or increase them. Elected local officials throughout the state have no authority to reduce their school budgets. That is simply a wrong that needs to be fixed by the general assembly with the prodding by elected town leaders responsible to their constituents for their town budgets. Remember that in most, if not all, towns the school budgets typically represents more than half of each town's total operating budget and is paid for by our propety taxes.
As citizens we all have a vested interest in ensuring that children are afforded the opportunity of gaining a quality education. We also have a vested personal interest in ensuring that fraud, waste and abuse is eliminated wherever it is found to exist.

Pete, I spoke with the town clerk and the Town Manager's secretary, along with several town council members. They confirmed that the budget was requested and the response was "NO". They then sent off a written request using the open records law and the are supposed to receive it no later than the 26th. . As of yesterday they did not have it.

The school budget for FY2012/2013 is still in draft and will be voted on by the School Committee during their business meeting in June. Copies will be available after the vote. I have not seen you at any of the Budget Sub Committee meetings. That is where the FY2012/2013 budget is being discussed. It is a public meeting, duly posted and anyone can attend.

Thank you. The budget subcommitte is a public body. The FY2012/2013 budget has been on the agenda.

The documents presented and/or reviewed at those public fora are public records.

Therefore, one may request access to them under the APRA regardless of whether one has been present at a meeting.

See the AG's website for APRA decisions on this issue.

How in the world could the School Budget for 2012/2013 still be in draft. Didn,t the school JFC know this before they presented Warren with what it would take to run the schools. I am very confussed. Please, someone explain this to me.

Until it's approved, it's a draft. But it is still a public record if it's presented or considered at a public meeting.

If any of you had ever bothered to attend a SC Budget Subcommittee meeting, you would not be confused by the process of creating a budget request, submitting that request to the JFC, getting less than was requested, and then going back to the drawing board to make further cuts before the final budget is approved by the full SC. There is nothing hidden, sinister, or conspiratorial going on (except in your vibrant though uncontrolled imaginations). Given your antagonistic stance and complete absence in the process, if the SC is NOT required to hand over DRAFT documents, then why should they have anything to do with all of you haters who already have your minds cemented with preconceived notions and misinformation? It is obvious that you have no interest in being part of an intelligent solution to school funding issues.

Until the final budget is approved, it's a draft.

The various generations of the draft are public records if presented or considered at a public meeting.

And, of course, one may request a copy whether or not one was able to attend the meeting.

Apparently a couple of my posts on this have vanished into thin air, so I'll try again.
A refusal to distribute a public record or preventing it from being disclosed can be a serious issue for a great many reasons. Why anyone would think that a public official such as Mr. Gordon (Town Manager) should be excluded from the ability of having these documents is mind bogling. I can think of a great many reasons people cannot attend these meetings, does this diminish their rites as tax payers. I would hope not. The lack of cooperation on the part of the School Administration would lead one to believe that there is something to hide. If anyone out there thinks that no one other than the School Administration should have access to such information, these individuals are most certainly part of the whole problem. Accountability falls not to just politicians and municiple agencies but School Departments also. No one entity should be able to conceal information from the public and not be acountable for their actions. This behavior is just the reason that forensic audits occur. People need to find out exactly what is going on with tax-payer money. Throwing money at the School Dept is not the fix. There is no longer any reason to trust the School Administration the moment the documents where refused. It set the tone for a troubled future. I don't see this as a hate issue, just a spending problem with no accountability.

Can someone tell me how many teacher's aides there are in our school system, verses the number of teachers, and what year this started, and for what reason.
I am not against having aides who help sick or handicapped students, but its just somthing that is bothering me. With a good explanation, I can stop wondering.

Did he get it by the 26th Marina ?

Gina... I have heard that they received the complete budget. Don't know any other particulars on this. Will find out more and keep you posted.