I received the following email from Cranston School Committee member Steve Stycos. Part of the email included a detailed analysis of the proposed Cranston budget by Former Council member and Mayoral candidate Allan Fung. Allan Fung’s analysis is here.

From Steve Stycos:

MAYOR TO SCHOOLS, “DROP DEAD”

Mayor Michael Napolitano has presented an anti-education budget to the City Council. While raising taxes 5.25 percent, Napolitano proposes to give no additional money to the schools. Thanks to negotiated salary increases, and health insurance and pension cost increases, Napolitano’s budget would be devastating to the schools. The school committee had requested an additional $4 million.

Napolitano says it was a tough decision, but he had no choice. Meanwhile, he is proposing to install Astroturf at Cranston Stadium at a cost of almsot one million dollars. His budget does not even attempt to spread the pain, giving the fire department an additional half million dollars and the police department an additional $2.5 million. The mayor’s office budget would only increase about $3000, just enough to pay the additional $1900 for a more expensive lease for the mayor’s car.

Under state law, the school committee can take the city to court for providing inadequate funds for education. If the City Council does not provide some more money, the school committee will have little choice but to sue, or “go Caruolo.” A unanswered question is whether this is precisely what the mayor and his close friend, school committee chairman and former mayor Mike Traficante want. During his campaign, Napolitano promised not to touch the surplus, to hold the line on taxes and to support the schools. This impossible combination of pledges has boxed him in. But if a judge ruled that the city had to contribute more money to the schools, the money would likely come out of the city’s accumulated $20 million surplus. Napolitano could then disclaim responsibility, saying, “The court made me do it.” (For those following the controversy with the concrete plant, this may sound familiar.)

For now, parents should contact their city council member (and the three at large representatives) and urge them to find money for the schools. Then they should stay on top of the school committee and make sure that cuts do the least damage possible to the classroom. In June, the school committee will align its budget to actual funds. At that point we will have to decide whether to give raises to administrators, purchase library books or increase high school class size.

A public hearing on the portion of the city budget that provides the Astroturf pending will be held Tuesday April 24 at 6:30PM in City Council chambers.