Thursday, October 7, 2010
The school department will present a 'deficit reduction plan' at the next School Committee meeting on Oct. 12. Meanwhile, both the PCC and SOS react to Tuesday's special election results.
Portsmouth's voters have spoken, soundly defeating a referendum Tuesday that would have restored $765,301 that the Town Council cut from the Fiscal Year 2010-11 school budget. In light of the outcome, school officials are now planning to present a deficit reduction plan to the School Committee next Tuesday. Superintendent Susan Lusi and School Finance Director Mark Dunham did not return calls for comment on Wednesday, but Lusi e-mailed a brief statement to Patch. "The Portsmouth community has spoken," she said. "The administration will be bringing a deficit reduction plan forward for the School Committee's consideration at its meeting of October 12." Although it is not clear what cuts that plan would be recommending, school officials …
41.59003
-71.25417
Portsmouth School District
29 Middle Rd, Portsmouth, RI
/articles/school-dept-to-create-deficit-reduction-plan-after-referendum-fails
226432
/locations/2148880
Friday, October 1, 2010
Both sides of the referendum debate buy ads, post signs to prepare for this Tuesday's special election.
A referendum asking voters to restore $765,301 to the school department's budget will go before voters at a special election to be held this Tuesday, Oct. 5. If approved, the referendum would authorize a total school budget of about $36.3 million. The referendum would also increase taxes about 20 cents per thousand dollars of assessed value, or an additional tax hike of $71.44 annually for a $350,000 home. As school officials prepare for the outcome, both the Save Our Schools organization and the Portsmouth Concerned Citizens are taking steps to remind people to get out and vote. SOS, led by Dave Croston, has taken out ads in local newspapers and will hold small "visibility campaigns" this weekend before Tuesday's election. "We have a …
41.58976
-71.25351
Portsmouth Town Hall
2200 E Main Rd, Portsmouth, RI
/articles/sos-pcc-gear-up-for-referendum-vote
226776
/locations/2124235
41.59003
-71.25417
Portsmouth School District
29 Middle Rd, Portsmouth, RI
/articles/sos-pcc-gear-up-for-referendum-vote
226432
/locations/2124236
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Both sides of the education funding debate voice their opinions, while looking back to the issues and "tent meeting" of 2006.
On July 29, members of Save Our Schools (SOS), the local education advocacy group spearheading the effort to restore the funding, officially requested the referendum. After a strong grassroots push over the last two weeks, SOS delivered 2,039 signatures to the town clerk's office on Tuesday morning. "This just gets us in the game," SOS Founder David Croston said of the petition drive on Tuesday. "A lot of work is in front of us to convince the voters and show how positive a system we have right now. We'll do our best in the next six weeks to show what a wonderful school system we have and to show what an important investment it is to Portsmouth." Opponents of the funding increase have also vowed to hit the pavement and present their case …
41.58976
-71.25351
Portsmouth Town Hall
2200 E Main Rd, Portsmouth, RI
/articles/referendum-could-be-rematch-of-2006-education-funding-debate
226776
/locations/1655690
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Save Our Schools collects more than 50 signatures Thursday, but more are needed, says organizers.
The independent group Save Our Schools (SOS), led by founder David Croston, kicked off its first signature drive Thursday morning at Portsmouth High School. As of 9 a.m., the group had collected 50 more names from registered voters. "It was a fair turnout," said Croston, who is running for School Committee. "We still have a ways to go." SOS has already collected more than 550 names of registered voters. They will need another 850 signatures before the deadline on Aug. 11. The group will hold another signature drive this afternoon/early evening at Portsmouth High School, 120 Education Lane, from 4 to 7 p.m. A second signature drive will be held again on Friday from 6 to 9 a.m. and again from 4 to 7. On July 29, the SOS group submitted an …
41.613121
-71.249789
Portsmouth High School
120 Education Ln, Portsmouth, RI
/articles/referendum-signature-drive-kicks-off
226689
/locations/1623098
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Save Our Schools' referendum rally on Tuesday drew a large crowd and more signatures. Across the street, an opposing group held up their own signs, protesting the referendum.
The horns could nearly be heard clear across town and so could the shouts of "Support Our Schools." It was hard not to notice the highly publicized referendum rally held Tuesday at the intersection of Turnpike Avenue and East Main Road, just across from Clement's Market. The independent group Save Our Schools (SOS), led by founder David Croston, is seeking support for a referendum. And, it was clear on Tuesday with more than 40 supporters showing up to wave at motorists, many of them Portsmouth students, they have a strong showing of support already. "We still have a long way to go," said Croston, who is running for a seat on the School Committee this election year. Croston and the SOS group have already collected 550 names of registered …
41.60063
-71.25002
Turnpike Ave & E Main Rd, Portsmouth, RI
/articles/referendum-rally-draws-supporters-and-protesters
/locations/1618888
Monday, August 2, 2010
Save Our Schools group collects 20 percent of the required 1,400 signatures needed for a referendum, but more names are still needed.
Save Our Schools (SOS), led by founder David D. Croston, says they have collected 20 percent of the necessary 1,400 signatures needed for a referendum. This past weekend, Croston and a team of supporters went door to door, visited the popular Sandy Point Beach and Glen Farm to gather the necessary signatures. They will continue collecting names tonight at 5 p.m. at the Gardner Seveney Sports Complex off East Main Road, as well as hold a rally on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at the intersection of East Main Road and Turnpike Avenue, across from Clement's Market. Another campaign to draw up support is scheduled for Thursday and Friday from 6 to 9 a.m. and from 4 to 7 p.m. This signature drive will be held at the Portsmouth High School on Education …
41.60063
-71.25002
Turnpike Ave & E Main Rd, Portsmouth, RI
/articles/referendum-gaining-ground
/locations/1606600
Concerned about the PCC
10:44 pm on Friday, October 8, 2010
Ralph, Are you saying the lack of funding won’t negatively impact the quality of education? Using the same logic the $71 tax increase would have had no impact on your personal finances. Right? You could have just “tightened your belt” or “trimmed some fat” and everything would have been fine. Out of curiosity, when you were growing up, what was the name of the militant watchdog group that made … more ›