Warwick City Council still grappling with school department budget cuts

By Brittany Comak

Twitter: @BComakABC6

WARWICK, R.I. (WLNE) – After hours of deliberation, the Warwick City Council is still trying to figure out how to fund school sports, and all of the other things that had to be cut for the upcoming year.

“We should move forward, we should get this behind us,” said Council President Steve Merolla towards the beginning of the meeting. “The sports programs in particular in the Fall they need to start. Kids need to have coaches.”

The council was originally supposed to vote on a resolution to provide $1.3 million in funding for school sports and some clubs, after the school committee had to cut almost $8 million from their budget last month.

School Committee Chair Karen Bachus has said in the past that any funding they had restored would need to go toward academic items first, like textbooks and teaching assistants that they had to cut.

Knowing that, and after hearing public comment, councilors began debating an amendment to the resolution that would fund all asks on the list of the school committee, which total about 17.

Students and parents spoke passionately throughout the meeting, asking the council how its even come to this point that they have to pick and choose what to fund in their schools.

Some who spoke said they believed passing a resolution to only fund sports would force the school committee into a corner.

“It is unfair for the school committee to ask you for money and decline it,” said one student. “You are not only cutting our arts, but our sports, and our futures. I don’t blame the school committee. I blame you.”

Around 11 P.M. the council took a short recess.

The next school committee meeting is Tuesday night.