Chariho Budget vote on Tuesday, April 9

Come out and show some support for Chariho

By Will Collette

The Chariho School District doesn’t get much respect, even though it has evolved into one of Rhode Island’s top school systems. 

Hopkinton Republicans are always dissing it (and are actually urging a “No” vote on the budget). 

Charlestown’s controlling CCA Party leadership are always ragging on Chariho to cut, cut, cut. 

Charlestown's disrespect was recently displayed when the CCA Party majority on the Town Council appointed two new Chariho School Committee reps. One, Ron Areglado, is a former Charlestown secession advocate and the other, Donna Chambers,  is an advocate for making Chariho pay for kids sent to substandard charter schools.

Each year, hardly anyone comes out to vote on the system’s annual budget. That needs to change.

Even though Chariho’s overall budget is up slightly to $57.1 million, Charlestown’s share dropped by $71,212 to a new total of $13,150,725 due to fewer Charlestown students going to Chariho. Perhaps this is due to Family Planning Commissar Ruth Platner’s efforts to suppress families with children, 

Chariho is also assuming a 3% cut in federal funding; they’re hopeful that it won’t be worse, given the turmoil in Washington over the budget.

Public education is expensive. It needs to be because it is the public institution most responsible for steering young people on to future success. And for the rural towns of Charlestown, Hopkinton and Richmond – which provide very few other public services of any kind – it always represents the bulk of the town budget.

Again, so it should be. But just because it is, doesn’t mean it is a bad deal and that we must engage in the annual tradition of moaning about how much it costs.

Consider the alternative. Education is the silver bullet. It prepares young people for full and productive lives. Without good, well-funded public schools, our community would be in terrible trouble. It’s also what saves kids from a life of dead-end, low-wage jobs or worse, problems that will cost our society a lot more in the long run than ponying up for good schools.

So come out to vote on Tuesday, April 9 and cast your ballot at the only polling station which is Town Hall on South County Trail. Polls are open from 8 AM to 8 PM.