2025-146

WHEREAS, Newport Council is once again requesting Newport voters reconsider a ballot question for voters in April 2026 regarding a new option presented by Rhode Island Department of Education combining administration only for the purpose of a Newport/Middletown Regionalized School District. Both communities will share one superintendent and one finance office. Teachers and students will remain in their respective communities for the foreseeable future. All other personnel will be under the direction of the superintendent and newly elected school committee consisting of membership from both communities; AND

WHEREAS, a regionalized administration office would enable both communities to greatly increase the State's reimbursement for the new Rogers and addition to Pell Elementary School from 52.5 to 80.5 percent; AND

WHEREAS, other incentives including 2-year bonuses and 50% reimbursement for in-district busing would go directly to the regionalized school system; AND

WHEREAS, the current level for funding for both municipalities would be combined to become the baseline funding going forward; AND

WHEREAS, policy decisions that move both communities to create a robust educational system are vital to the stabilization of financing public education; AND

WHEREAS, robust discussions among the combined communities of educators, parents, and students shall take place outlining ways communities would work together to use some reimbursement funding to improve programming and student outcomes in a regionalized district; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED: that both Middletown and Newport provide an equal number of appointments to the Academic Integration Advisory Commission by September 30, 2025 to discuss potential educational improvements and make recommendations going forward; and BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED: that the Newport City Council will engage in discussions with Middletown Town Council to prioritize and commit the use of reimbursement funds to create an endowment to improve educational opportunities for all students to the regionalized district; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED: that the Newport City Council directs the Newport City Manager to reach out to Middletown’s Town Manager to set up a special meeting with the Councils, School Committees, and Superintedents for both communities with the Rhode Island Department of Education to discuss the above options and get both communities on the same page as to what this form of regionalization would look like for the communities.

JEANNE-MARIE NAPOLITANO

IN COUNCIL
READ AND PASSED
AUGUST 13, 2025

LAURA C SWISTAK, CMC
CITY CLERK