Warwick School Committee Exerts Extra Contract Oversight

WARWICK, RI – The School Department will be maintaining greater contract oversight after the RI State Police began investigating the district for hiring Jada Trucking for contracts without first advertising the work.

“We did receive a complaint from the City of Warwick and the matter is under investigation,” RI State Police Lt. Col. Robert Creamer replied when asked to confirm the investigation.

Mayor Frank Picozzi did not respond to requests to elaborate on his call for a State Police investigation.

The School Department has also launched an investigation into the matter.

The Warwick School Committee discussed the new oversight rules, a response to the investigations, during a special meeting Monday at 10:30 a.m. Warwick School Committee Chairman Shaun  Galligan began by saying, “I’d like to address the elephant in the room,”  meaning a person is about to name a matter being ignored. But he did not name the issue or describe the matter, noting the district’s legal counsel, Attorney Andrew Henneous, had warned him not to  say too much about the investigations.

Wednesday, after the meeting, Galligan made the following statement about the investigations in response to Warwick Post queries:

The issue, originally reported by WPRI.com July 29, involved the Warwick Schools District awarding two contracts to the moving company without first advertising them. Jada Moving is owned by David Oliver, cousin to facilities director Kevin Oliver.

When reached Tuesday, David Oliver declined to comment on the investigation.

During Monday’s meeting, Galligan praised Superintendent Lynn Dambruch and her administration for the way they have handled the matter.

“Their [School Administration] leadership has been exemplary,” said Galligan on Monday. “We have safeguards in place until the investigation is completed. Until further notice, all purchasing decisions, including decisions made by subcommittees such as the building committee, must be authorized by the Superintendent and the Assistant Superintendent. There’s no exceptions. The Building Committee does not have full autonomy as such all other subcommittees do not have full autonomy.”

Galligan said the School Committee would be reviewing policies for procurement, purchases, and bids in the fiscal subcommittee on Tuesday. Those recommendations will then be passed on to the Policy Subcommittee chaired by Michele Kirby Chapman and Leah Hazelwood.

Movers OK’d for Drum Rock, Holliman, Greenwood

In other news, the School Committee unanimously approved a contract for Professional Moving Services.

The company will be responsible for moving Drum Rock, Holliman, and Greenwood Elementary schools.

Galligan acknowledged the risk involved with the awarding of the contract to Professional Moving Services: “I appreciate the Building Committee coming here with two vendors as an option. This is a big gamble. We have four weeks until schools open and if those schools aren’t opening, it’s our heads.”

The Committee also approved a contract for First Student to provide bus transportation for the 2024-2025 school year.

Galligan said he was “really happy” with the contract, adding if a bus is 45 to 89 minutes late, the district will only pay fifty percent of that route for the day.

“If a bus is 90 or more minutes late, it’s 100 percent off. It’s a free bus.”

The meeting video can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXEeDo-Tm20&t=56s