Why should Middletown and Newport establish a committee to study school regionalization? First and foremost to determine if unifying the two small school systems will substantially improve the education of the students. A cost benefit analysis of school regionalization should be examined as well.
If considerable educational and financial benefits can be confirmed, the remaining issues involved with school regionalization should then be studied and resolved—the administration, curriculum changes, teacher contracts, bricks and mortar, etc. Many individuals in both Middletown and Newport have expressed a strong interest that such a study on school regionalization be undertaken.
To accomplish this, we will need forward looking thinkers made up of educational and municipal leaders to take on such a study. With the help of the RI Department of Education under the leadership of our new and skillful R.I. Educational Commissioner, Angelica Infante-Green, a study of school regionalization in our area can be successfully accomplished.
Then with facts in hand, the voters of Middletown and Newport can decide the issue of whether regionalization of our schools is worthwhile. But we need to authorize this study. To do this, it is incumbent on the voters of Middletown and Newport to insure we elect council and school committee members willing to establish a school regionalization study committee.
Before you vote, ask those running for office where they stand on doing a school regionalization study. More information on this subject will benefit all of us, especially the students, our future.
Ronald G. Héroux
Middletown, RI
Secretary of CESU (Citizens Exploring School Unification)