THE RHODE ISLAND House Finance Committee has a very difficult, if not impossible, job this year as it struggles to find enough state money to meet the human needs of the state. When I appeared before this body to present the $47 million Central Falls fiscal 2008 school-budget request, committee members expressed great concern about the rising cost of education in the city. This concern is further heightened since the state has been paying 100 percent of the education bill since its fiscal takeover of the district, in 1991.

During the past year, I have been involved as interim school superintendent, working with the school district in making significant changes in order to improve the academic achievement of Central Falls students while at the same time tightening fiscal oversight and looking for more efficient ways to use resources.

We have made initial strides on all fronts this year, as reported by the media. The state assessment scores on the elementary level have turned around and are now on the rise. Central Falls High School attendance has significantly improved. A dramatic change is planned for the low-performing high school with the proposed partnership with the University of Rhode Island on the drawing board for implementation next fall. These changes and others mark a new era in Central Falls education. Unfortunately, as this era begins, the state financial picture is the darkest it has been in years.

With this backdrop, it is understandable that House Finance members asked some tough questions about school spending in Central Falls. Their major question was, “What exactly are you doing to reduce school costs in Central Falls?” One member said, “Until I see real economies being made by Central Falls, I am not ready to support this budget request.” Another member asked, “How can we support a budget increase of this nature when there are proposals before us to deny social services to 18-to-21-year-olds?” These are fair questions that need straight answers.

Let’s first answer the last question. Many of those 18-to-21-year olds are former Central Falls students. The proposed health roll and child-care cuts also directly affect Central Falls students and families. Being the poorest community in the state by any quantitative measure you use, you either improve the education level of these students now or pay later with increased social-service costs. The future economic health of Rhode Island is at stake. Why? Because the population growth in the state is mainly due to the influx of Latino students and families, while the need for higher educational attainment and technically skilled workers is escalating.

The recent Wood Associates Education Adequacy Report commissioned by the General Assembly calls for increased funding in urban districts, citing the high percentage of low-income families and the high cost and percentage of special-education and English-language learners in those districts. The current attempt to implement a new school-aid funding formula with particular attention paid to the extra cost burden due to urban special student populations is long overdue. Those involved in constructing a new aid formula are to be commended for their efforts in trying to resolve this persistent funding problem. As the poorest school district in the state, with an increasing school population and over 50 percent of its students requiring special education or English as a Second Language instruction (the highest percentage in the state), Central Falls welcomes increased funding to support its school-improvement efforts to have all students meet high standards by closing the achievement gap that currently exists.

But what about budget efficiencies? What economies are being taken? Several examples were presented at the House hearing. For example, Central Falls’s non-certified personnel did not receive a salary increase this past year and teachers did not get a raise two years ago. Teachers’ health-insurance co-pay will increase to 7.5 percent next year. In spite of heated opposition, we are soliciting bids to outsource our bus transportation, hoping to realize savings. We operate a very efficient special-education program. Although having the seventh-highest number of special-education students in the state, we have the second lowest per-pupil cost in this category. We have joined with eight other towns in a health-care joint-purchasing agreement to lower those costs. Our proposal to form a URI Academy at Central Falls High School has private and corporate fund-raising objectives in its design.

When you factor in our $6.5 million in restricted grants, Central Falls per-pupil expenditures rank 18th out of the 36 Rhode Island districts. When you take this number out, Central Falls ranks dead last in the state (2006 Insite data). Special education and ESL costs represent 42 percent of our new budget request. If you remove this cost from the calculations, Central Falls ranks last in general-education expenditures, according to 2005 Insite data.

Budget efficiencies are clearly in place and more need to be taken since the state’s future fiscal picture looks bleak. Meanwhile, our school enrollment grows and several of our school buildings are exceeding capacity. Space is at a premium. School maintenance needs desperate attention and remodeling of facilities is long overdue. There is obviously little or no state money to address these needs.

Unless there is a change in state law, funding Central Falls schools is a state responsibility and not a city one. The 1991 takeover was a fiscal one and not really a structural or organizational shift. School personnel are therefore not technically state employees. While under state fiscal control, collective-bargaining agreements have increased in scope and detail to the point where they impede reform initiatives. Changes and more flexibility in union-contract language must occur to divert money to critical areas aimed at increasing student achievement. With low-performing schools under state correction, unions must join hands with boards of governance and school administrators and throw out old contract provisions and negotiate new ones, with the common focus being on improving student academic success. The current student-failure rate must be attacked on all sides. Real actions rather than rhetoric are needed now from all educational partners as financial support from the state dwindles.

With new enlightened board members, a recently appointed and highly capable and respected new superintendent, and a new high-school principal and elementary-school principal yet to be hired, Central Falls schools are in position for genuine improvement; however, they need adequate resources to do the job right both from increased formula aid and internal shifting of current spending patterns. The degree of student academic failure in Central Falls is not acceptable and measurable progress has to be made as soon as possible. Central Falls students and families deserve no less.

William R. Holland is former interim superintendent of the Central Falls School District.