To the Editor:
A recent NY Times column by David Brooks stated that “by eighth grade, students from affluent families are four grade levels ahead of students from poor families.” The question is what can we do about it?
Brooks suggested focusing on the neighborhood as the unit of change and providing resources from outside, But only local control does the trick and spending money on preschool, apprenticeship and other human capital programs.
On all three measures, Newport’s response has been positive, growing in momentum and financial commitment. The evolution of the north side via the Health Equity Zone, the formation of a north end neighborhood association, plans for a new north end urban plan, EBCAP, the Boys & Girls Club, FabNewport and a cadre of other social programs focusing on our north end neighbors are all designed to provide much needed localized resources.
Bussing the majority of our high school students across town hasn’t and won’t solve educational inequality. In fact, one could argue continuing our south end high school legacy with a new high school would only perpetuate inequality by removing most future students from where they live, away from locally valuable resources we’ve invested in.
Alternatively, a new high school closer to the north side and the new Pell Early Learning Center have all of the aforementioned local community benefits, along with the likelihood of greater student involvement, attendance, access to apprenticeship programs and shorter transportation times. Such schools can serve as a hub for further revitalization, community involvement, access to job opportunities, the MET School and CCRI.
Let’s not give up on the promise of regionalization.
Once a $100 million-plus Newport high school is built as far away as possible from our student populations, not only Newport’s but also Middletown’s, we are forever assigning Newport’s future students to a small, inefficient, declining enrollment high school, removed from the north end and precluded from future regionalization with Middletown.
Last June, Newport city officials fervently appealed to the Middletown Town Council to explore regionalization. Councilors Ceglie and Napolitano stated:
“Both schools have lower enrollments than just 10 years ago. From the highs of 1,200 students, each school now educates approximately 600 students. Increasing unfunded mandates, salaries/benefits and the cost of construction put strains on both communities. These factors affect school budgets, increasing tensions among councils, schools and taxpayers.”
The 2009 Aquidneck Island Consolidation Study conducted by the R.I. Public Expenditure Council concluded: “Opportunities exist to generate significant savings to the districts through consolidation while enhancing educational opportunities.”
Recently Rhode Island Department of Education Commissioner Infante-Green expressed disbelief that three high schools were needed on our island. Undoubtedly, this is why RIDE scaled their new construction matching funds significantly higher 80 percent plus for schools that would regionalize rather than going it alone.
Despite the Middletown Town Council’s inconceivable refusal to join Newport in exploring the educational and financial benefits of regionalization, nearly 900 Middletown registered voters have now signed a petition that, if then approved by the electorate this fall, would require the Middletown Town Council study the issue, not to approve regionalization, but merely to create a joint Regional Planning Board to assess what’s best for both communities.
The study would determine the best location for a new Newport/ Middletown HS and at what cost savings, certainly less than the proposed $110 million Rogers replacement. One benefit to locating the high school near the Newport/ Middletown border could be the sale of the current Rogers site, proceeds (estimated at $25 million-plus) could be contributed to a new regional HS as inducement to Middletown.
Where do we go from here?
The incalculable, devastating financial impact that the pandemic will have on our schools and state and municipal budgets dictate, as our Governor stated when asked about school regionalization, “a need to get creative, innovative and reform-minded.”
The time to start is now.
John Hirschboeck
Citizens Exploring School Unification
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Let's Correct Educational Inequality - Newport This Week
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