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Council, Schools Meet May 14 on Warwick Schools Budget

[CREDIT: Rob Borklowski] Warwick City Hall on Post Road. The Warwick City Council's first meeting adjusts rules on meeting agendas, moving public comment one item later, and preserves a rule cited in a First Amendment Lawsuit against the Council.

[CREDIT: Rob Borklowski] Warwick City Hall on Post Road. The Warwick City Council's special meeting Wednesday concerns the Warwick Schools Budget, its deficits, and corrective measures.
[CREDIT: Rob Borklowski] Warwick City Hall on Post Road. The Warwick City Council’s special meeting Wednesday concerns the Warwick Schools Budget, its deficits, and corrective measures.
WARWICK, RI — The Warwick Schools Budget is the topic of a City Council special meeting Wednesday, 5 p.m. at Warwick City Hall to discuss the  including trends, current status, and corrective actions.

The meeting takes place a little less than a week before the Council is scheduled to begin FY26 Budget Hearings. It’ll also follow the latest Warwick Schools Budget Commission meeting, itself followed by the Warwick School Committee’s executive session discussing the retirement of Superintendent Lynn Dambruch and an acting superintendent.

Mayor Frank Picozzi’s $380M budget proposal included roughly $194 million for Warwick Schools, about $3,719.153 less than the school department’s $198,162,060 budget request. Those numbers arrived in officials’ inboxes and on the city website as the Budget Commission continues review of recent school department spending, including a cumulative $1.7 million deficit from FY24 and FY25, and about $7 million for FY25, the current fiscal year.

According to the agenda released to the public this morning, “This meeting is scheduled for two hours, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.  After presentation by the school department, questions and answers from the Council and then the Public will be entertained to the extent time permits. Additional Public Comment regarding the school department budget is welcomed as part of the Public Hearing on the Budget that begins Monday, May 19th at 4 p.m.”

The formal agenda is also outlined:

Warwick Schools Budget Special Meeting Agenda

1. Presentation by, and Questions and Answers with, the Warwick School Department regarding historic, current, and forecasted school budgets and matters, including:

a. BudgetTrends

  1. Forecasting methods and models
  2. Cost drivers
  3. Operational efficiency

b. Current Financial Status

  1. Identification of structural issues within school budget
  2. How are these structural issues addressed in the current budget approach
  3. Notable overages and savings
  4. Breakdown of identified cuts by amount and timeline

c. Correctiveactionoptions

i. Personnel ii. Procedural iii. Technology

d. FY 2025-2026 Warwick Public Schools Proposed Budget

Rob Borkowski
Author: Rob Borkowski

Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at editor@warwickpost.com with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.

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