Saturday, March 30, 2013
Document fails first stab at first passage with four members present.
Editor's note: This story was written in part using audio posted on Mywoonsocket.com's "In their own words" page, where a recording of the entire meeting is available. The School Department's updated $65,957,994 draft budget failed its first passage vote March 27 after some members expressed continuing misgivings about the Budget Commission's influence over the medical insurance ($7,101,838) and dental insurance ($508,145) line items. The figures, which represent about $1 million in savings, are based on the Budget Commission's anticipated deal with unions. The state-appointed body has instructed the Woonsocket School Department to use the figures in their budget planning. Committee Member John Donlon asked Interim School Finance …
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
School Committee member says RIDE's cost-cutting proposal needs to be studied.
Editor's note: This story was written in part using audio posted on Mywoonsocket.com's "In their own words" page, where a recording of the entire meeting is available. Woonsocket Public Schools may have to close an elementary school and add a 5-6 grade academy and 7-8 grade academy to the middle schools, but there's no plan on how to do that yet. At the School Committee's March 20 meeting to review a $65 million draft budget, member Anita McGuire-Forcier asked about the cost-saving contingency. The move was suggested by Carolyn Dias, RI Department of Education's chief of fiscal integrity, during a fall meeting with the Superintendent and School Committee members, she said. "They know that you have the capacity in terms of your …
Friday, March 22, 2013
Board added funds to some line items, set to vote on document March 27.
Editor's note: This story was written in part using audio posted on Mywoonsocket.com's "In their own words" page, where a recording of the entire meeting is available. The Woonsocket School Committee reviewed a tight $65,347,290 FY14 draft budget Wednesday night based on assumed health insurance savings imposed by Woonsocket Budget Commission. While presenting the budget, Interim Finance Director Ralph Malafronte noted the document was extremely tight, with few changes over last year's budget. He also noted it was less than last year's $66,643,181 budget. "But that's all tied to some issues that are under negotiation," Malafronte said. According to the Budget Commission's 5-year plan, insurance savings under a unified system is one …
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
We're halfway through the week, and all done with winter, according to the calendar:
School Committee - The Woonsocket School Committee will meet this afternoon for a closed session discussing litigation, convening an open session public meeting at 3:50 p.m., at the McFee Administration Building, 108 High St., first floor conference room, according to their agenda. The sole item on the open session agenda is: Review/Discussion with the Woonsocket Education Finance Department of the FY14 Budget. 2013 Stadium brochure - The updated 2013 season brochure for Stadium Theatre are available online. FRCA VITA Program - Family Resources Community Action is providing FREE Income Tax Preparation forfamilies with incomes less than $51,000. All preparers are certified by the IRS, andE-filing is done for fast returns. Appointments …
42.00346
-71.51508
City of Woonsocket Department of Education
108 High St, Woonsocket, RI
/articles/wednesday-s-things-school-budget-stadium-brochure-free-tax-help-nixle
505279
/locations/9049112
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
School Committee to meet for open session at 3:50 p.m.
The Woonsocket School Committee will meet tomorrow afternoon at 108 High St. to discuss the 2014 school budget, well past its original March 1 deadline despite the efforts of School Committee member Anita McGuire-Forcier. The passed deadline did not escape the notice of Lorraine Corey, city resident and editor of Mywoonsocket.com, who criticized the school department, School Committee and Budget Commission for allowing the deadline to pass without presenting a budget. "Had it not been for Committeewoman Anita McGuire Forcier, the fact that the school budget was late again would not have come to light until today," Corey told City Councilors during their March 4 meeting. The passed deadline also drew criticism from taxpayer Christine …
42.00346
-71.51508
City of Woonsocket Department of Education
108 High St, Woonsocket, RI
/articles/belated-school-budget-meeting-scheduled-wednesday-afternoon
505279
/locations/9050819
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Final School Committee meeting of the year also tabled plan to create "dean of students" position for Woonsocket Middle School.
The School Committee's last meeting Dec. 12 featured a change of title for School Department secretary Kim Blais, who works in the Superintendent's office. "Ms. Blais has diligently worked for the Woonsocket Education Department for the past five years in the capacity as secretary to the superintedent's office," read Superintendent Giovanna Donoyan to the School Committee. "Her dedication and knowledge of WED (Woonsocket Eductation Department) operations and attending to confidential school, employee and student issues has been exemplary." Donoyan reccomended changing Blais's title to "confidential secretary to the superintendent," which she described as a lateral move, involving no pay increase. Blais's position was listed as secretary…
Last meeting of the year features brief holiday show.
The School Committee's last meeting of the year featured light fare Dec. 12 with a short play by Citizens Memorial Elementary School students. Led by teacher Linda Barrette, a handful of children performed "Mr. Scrooge's Christmas" for the School Committee and the audience of about 20 people. The play lasted about 20 minutes and was met with vigorous applause. Stay tuned later in the week for photos and video from their follow-up performance at Woonsocket High School Dec. 13.
42.004722
-71.500708
Woonsocket Middle School at Hamlet/Villa Nova
60 Florence Dr, Woonsocket, RI
/articles/citizens-students-perform-mr-scrooge-s-christmas-for-school-committee
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Monday, December 17, 2012
Mywoonsocket.com editor breaks editorial voice silence.
It's been about two years since Lorraine Corey launched Mywoonsocket.com in the late fall of 2010. The information site for local government information includes links to agendas for various upcoming government meetings, the city charter, and recent top news stories. One thing the site hasn't provided is editorials, a self-imposed rule, as Corey describes it. Last week, Corey broke that rule to speak her mind on a recent op/ed piece by School Committee Chair Vimala Phongsavanh wrote that was posted on the Woonsocket Call's website Nov. 18. Corey took issue with Phongsavanh's statement, "Without children of their own or a deep connection to the community, many senior citizens are unwilling to support our local school system, especially …
Monday, November 26, 2012
Budget Commission had given board two months to standardize principals' terms.
Editor's note: This article uses quotes taken from audio clips of the School Committee's Nov. 20 meeting at Mywoonsocket.com's "In Their Own Words" section. You can listen to the entire meeting at thier site. Instead of standardizing principal contracts as the Budget Commission asked two months ago, the Woonsocket School Committee voted to extend administrators' current terms through June 30, 2013 during their last meeting. John Ward, City Council president and a member of the Budget Commission, said he's not sure what the reaction of the Budget Commission will be, but, "I doubt it will be favorable." Ward said the Budget Commission had asked the School Committee to standardize the principal contracts about two months ago. On Nov. 20 at …
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
New members will get nominated by mayor, approved by City Council in November.
Come November 2013, new Woonsocket School Committee members will get appointed to the board instead of elected. City voters agreed to make the switch, casting approve votes on Question 8 — Amendments to the Woonsocket Home Rule Charter:"Shall the City of Woonsocket Home Rule Charter, Chapter XIV, be amended to provide for an appointed School Committee?" Voters approved the measure with a 57 percent majority - 6,098 in favor to 4,582 opposed. There were 1,455 "under votes" - people who declined to vote one way or another on the question. With that move decided, said Mayor Leo Fontaine, "Next November, whoever is elected Mayor at that point would be responsible for coming up with the appointments for submitting to the council for approval…
Rob
5:39 am on Monday, April 22, 2013
thank you david t more ›