Cranston school board cuts sports, jobs in $123M budget

Members of the Thunderbirds -- the district's girls cooperative hockey team, which was slated to be cut -- listen to their coach as they prepared to testify at the district's first budget public hearing on Jan. 27. The team will not be eliminated under the approved budget

By Maria Amental, The Providence Journal

CRANSTON, R.I. -- The School Committee approved Tuesday night a $123.6 million budget that strips the district of all but what's mandated by law or required by contract in all programs but music and sports, which will continue to be cut through 2014.

Gone are the K-8 enrichment program (the district's honors program); the K-6 strings, band and choral program; freshman baseball, basketball, and football; golf (co-ed); tennis (boys and girls); and indoor track (boys and girls); and the girls field hockey junior varsity team at Cranston High School East. The girls field hockey varsity team, a popular sport at Cranston East, was saved Monday night in a split vote as School Committee members said they wanted to keep the gender balance in the number of sports offered at the district's two high schools.

Voting against restoring funding for the field hockey varsity team were School Committee members Frank S. Lombardi, Paula McFarland, and Michael A. Traficante, the board's chairman.

The cuts mirror the recommendations of a court-ordered school performance audit as part of the district's May 2008 Caruolo action lawsuit.

All teams could be restored if the Rhode Island Interscholastic League Principals' Committee on Athletics approves the district's request to merge all but its top teams at both high schools. That hearing will be held Thursday at 2 p.m. at the league's headquarters, Building 6 at the Rhode Island College campus, 600 Mt. Pleasant Ave. in Providence.

Also eliminated are some 18 full-time positions, including two music teachers, two special education teachers, the five technical assistants at the Cranston Area Career and Technical Center and another at Cranston High School East.

The vote followed about 3 1/2 hours of discussion as members sought to close a projected loss in state aid of $1.26 million under Governor Carcieri's budget proposal for the fiscal year that begins July 1. District officials had closed it by $756,822. That along with an increase of federal funds for education stabilization left the district with a projected budget hole of $476,149.

To close that budget hole, Supt. Peter L. Nero at one point offered laying off two additional music teachers, which would eliminate the strings, band and choral program at the middle school.

The School Committee rejected that cut on a 4-to-3 vote. Voting against the cut were Stephanie Culhane, Paula McFarland, Janice Ruggieri, and Steven A. Stycos.

The budget proposal now heads to Mayor Allan W. Fung, who must present his proposal to the City Council by April 1.

Committee members said they will amend their budget after the council sets the city budget -- which includes municipal and school spending -- to reflect any necessary changes.

Any of the programs cut, they said, could be spared if additional funds are raised; but, in the case of sports, that would have to be done by April as the latest.

"I will have the fall schedules on my desk on May 1," said Michael C. Traficante, the district's athletics director.

"Just don't think we can go about it at our leisurely pace," he said.

Extra: A copy of the budget proposal, the superintendent's PowerPoint presentation, and the court-ordered performance audit can be accessed on the district's Web site.