CITY OF EAST PROVIDENCE   RHODE ISLAND JOURNAL OF SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING - LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST FEBRUARY 14, 2006

 

The City Council meets in Room 306 on Tuesday, February 14, 2006.

 

Present:	Mayor Joseph S. Larisa, Jr.
	Patrick T. Caine	Council Members
	Valerie A. Perry
	William J. Fazioli	City Manager
	Dana L. Toy	City Clerk
	Senator Daniel DaPonte	General Assembly Delegation
	Representative Paul Moura
	Representative Elizabeth Dennigan
	Representative Helio Melo
	Representative Henry Rose
	Representative John Savage
	Representative Susan Story
	Antone Gouveia, Jr.	School Committee
	Robert Faria
	Mildred Morris
	Eileen Lovett
	Manuel Vinhateiro	Superintendent of Schools
	Jacqueline Forbes	Asst. Superintendent of Schools
Absent:	Norman J. Miranda	Council Member
	William J. Conley, Jr.	City Solicitor
	James McDonald	Finance Director
	Senator Michael Damiani	General Assembly Delegation
	David Medeiros	School Committee Member

 

Mayor Larisa calls the meeting to order and speaks on the state of the City and mentions a bond referendum being passed for five million dollars to help with repaving City roads.

 

Mr. Fazioli states the resolution was passed at the last meeting.  Our bonded debt is low by national standards.  State aid is down.  Comparing distressed community aid with other towns, East Providence did not receive any funding because we only met two of the four criteria to qualify for this aid.  City and school officials agree that changes need to be made in special education mandates and how communities are reimbursed. 

 

The main concerns of the City and School officials are the rising costs of special education.  Supt. Vinhateiro states some of the problems are changes in the Americans with Disabilities Act that went into effect this year, where a district in which a private school is located is responsible for the costs of special needs evaluations, consultations, and diagnostic screening of children in that school regardless of where the child lives.  Our enrollment in these private schools in East Providence is over 2,700, which is the second highest in the State.

 

Group homes are another concern because their residents are considered by the State to be residents of the City where the home is located.  Bradley Hospital’s Craft Program, which has 18 beds for children with disabilities, has cost the City over $300,000.  With over 40 children combined in all group homes throughout the City last year, the cost to the City was $1.25 million and the State only reimbursed $630,000.

 

Supt. Vinhateiro discusses some proposals that could provide financial relief for the School Department, such as changing the special education class size from 10 to 12 students, to allow school districts to use RIDE buses instead of hiring outside contractors, to reconsider the classification of the Bradley Hospital program as a group home, and to cap the amount that the school district is required to pay for out of district tuition for students.

 

Representative Savage states he agrees with allowing districts to increase the size of the special education classrooms and his proposal for the RIDE buses.  Another alternative might be a bill the House is considering that would allow a consolidated busing system for special needs students.  

 

Representative Story and Melo have also submitted bills trying to cap school district’s special education costs.  Representatives Savage, Melo, and Rose have submitted legislation that would increase the State’s reimbursement to communities for group home residents.

 

Mr. Fazioli and the City Council urged lawmakers to reexamine the aid formula in which the State provides money for distressed communities.  The number of economically disadvantaged students in East Providence is 32%, compared to 20% for Burrillville and 23% for North Providence.  The

 

household income for East Providence is also lower than in Burrillville and North Providence and these communities are receiving distressed community aid.

 

Senator DaPonte states we all need to be working together.  The taxpayers are already paying their fair share.

 

Mr. Gouveia states the federal government has cut funding and the main issue is the significant increase in special education costs.

Representative Moura states we should be considered a model because we’ve asked for more money and have offered alternatives and no one else has done that.  We need to pay more attention to the concerns of the City and School officials.

 

Attest:

_________________________________________

Dana L. Toy
City Clerk

 

                                                                                                                        Approved: March 7, 2006