![[CREDIT: Rob Borkowski] A list of Warwick Teachers Union related reductions proposed to help meet the Warwick Schools FY26 deficit, including teacher layoffs.](https://e8dgfhu6pow.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Warwick-Schools-FY26-Budget-WTU-reductions.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&ssl=1)
WARWICK, RI — The School Committee approved 15 teacher layoffs Tuesday on a 4-1 vote, which nonetheless leaves the district with a $1.9 million FY26 deficit.
The district’s FY26 price range proposed shedding 25 lecturers, however 5 of these lower positions have been eradicated by means of attrition, by not changing retiring lecturers, mentioned Faculty Committee Chairman Shaun Galligan.
Galligan, Leah Hazelwood, Sean Wiggins, and Michelle Kirby Chapman voted ‘sure’. David Testa abstained from the vote.
Trainer Layoffs Not the Final Deficit Determination
The amended college price range, with an extra $1.7 million found by Councilman Ed Ladouceur’s diligent eye, is now $196,228,049, nonetheless $1,934,011 in need of the varsity division’s supposed $198,162,060 price range.
Galligan mentioned he was “very grateful that we acquired greater than was initially marketed to us within the metropolis’s proposed price range. Though we’re slicing math interventionists, we’re not slicing the operate itself. College students are nonetheless going to get the help that they want.”
The present state of affairs is a far cry from when the district entered the price range planning season $9 million behind, sparking the creation of a state-approved Warwick Faculties Finances Fee because the Faculty Committee labored on reductions decreasing the whole.
Galligan defended the Faculty Committee’s dealing with of the district’s price range disaster.
“We felt it might have been harmful to make mid-year cuts,” Galligan mentioned, “It was at the moment that we have been trustworthy with most people after we continued working on a deficit. We nonetheless want to take a look at the structural deficit on the again finish of this price range.”
Galligan pledged to take a “gradual, methodical” have a look at future college budgets, in addition to “establish price financial savings” and “operational efficiencies.”
“We’re caught between a rock and a tough place,” Hazelwood famous. We nonetheless don’t know what we’re going to do with the $1.9 million that we’re brief. It’s only a horrible state of affairs.”
Darlene Netcoh, President of the Warwick Lecturers Union, mentioned it was “unlucky that 15 (workers) will likely be shedding their jobs.”
Netcoh mentioned she “hopes the Metropolis Council will see match to correctly fund (the district).”
Toll Gate Metal Construct Bid OK’d
The committee additionally authorised the Toll Gate Early Bid package deal for metal in a unanimous vote.
Testa, who additionally serves on the Faculty Constructing Committee, famous the bid got here in $2.4 million beneath price range.
“Cumulatively to this point with the bids we’ve despatched out for the 2 excessive faculties, we’re roughly $6.75 million beneath price range,” Testa mentioned. “We’re sitting in a fairly great place to this point on this undertaking.”
Groundbreaking ceremonies for the brand new Toll Gate and Pilgrim Excessive Faculties will likely be held on June 9 and 10, in keeping with Chris Spiegel from Left Subject Challenge Administration. Spiegel informed the varsity committee on Could 13 that the undertaking was “trending under price range.”
All the meeting can be viewed on the district’s YouTube channel.
