By Alex Petrucci Why do we punish the exact people we say we are trying to attract? Every 3 years, by law, each town in Rhode Island re-assesses the value of all property. The overall result is a recalibration of property taxes based on how values have changed. All things being equal, half of land... Continue Reading →
Impossible Expectations under Single Party Rule
"without a balanced political plate, you cannot have meaningful community spending"
On Coventry and “Found” Funds
Should money matter in schools? The current School Committee argued that it should not. At different points during the campaigns, they hammered on this exact point. One stated “The budget is just a minor constraint” during a voter forum. Another noted “The education of our kids is more than a budget line item.” Once seated,... Continue Reading →
Taxes and Trust
Recent discussion about taxes have made me think back to when I learned what taxes are. When I was a kid, my dad explained that taxes are how we express our patriotism. We don’t see it as something taken from us, but rather our buy-in to being part of society. Our taxes pay for services... Continue Reading →
Open Letter to the School Committee
Dear Members of the South Kingstown School Committee, I write this was a heavy heart. Unfortunately, I have not seen any headway made since the current School Committee was elected 7 months ago. In fact, I feel like we have gone backwards. I try to keep an open mind and see situations from all angles. Many parents, like myself, pay attention, attend the SC meetings... Continue Reading →
Dr. Hicks is the obvious choice.
The decision to offer Dr. Robert Hicks an interim Superintendent position is an interesting one. He is a respected administrator and in my view did a phenomenal job in the recruiting and interviewing of his successor a decade ago. Beginning early in his final school year, community stakeholders from all parts of town were brought... Continue Reading →
Everything You Never Wanted To Know About Facility Capacity
INTRODUCTION From the start, RIDE’s new regulations for the facility process have been confusing and contradictory. Over the past several years, our understanding of which bonus incentives for which we might qualify, how much aid reimbursement we can expect, and how to calculate capacity and utilization has fluctuated wildly and each “answer” from RIDE has... Continue Reading →
Community Comment
by Kevin Jackson As a resident of South Kingstown, I have watched the recent debates regarding the school committee unfold. We can, and more importantly we must, do better and work together to solve our SK public school problems. It is clear that we have a problem. I believe that all points of view can... Continue Reading →
The Time for Change is Now – Share Your Voice
No one likes change. The new and unknown can be frightening and consistency is comforting, however the only thing that is certain is change. Trends in our town mirror changes at a national level. Birth rates are declining and the town's population is ageing. Fewer students fill our buildings, costing more than just money. Inequitable... Continue Reading →
In Search of Unity
In her comments to open the May 8th school committee meeting, Emily Cummiskey decried the division that has developed in town and called for unity. While we whole-heartedly support this call, unfortunately, Ms. Cummiskey misdiagnosed the cause of the division. She and several community members from the Friends of Wakefield/Friends of SK/WhyWakefield who spoke seem... Continue Reading →
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Belinda Matson
DORALD BEASLEY
brucewaidler
Community Comment
Roland
debbergner
Jason Ralph
Dr. Joslin B. Leasca, MSN, DNP, FNP, CNL, CNE
Melanie Reppucci
nicolemulanaphy
petruccialex
rickbeaule
Greg Sweet
SK Spotlight
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South Kingstown Spotlight 