The House Finance Committee Tuesday heard testimony on legislation introduced by Majority Floor Manager John G. Edwards (D-Dist. 70, Tiverton) that would reallocate money to Tiverton and other communities in the 2025 budget pursuant to the state school funding formula.
The resolution (2024-H 8266) would authorize the transfer of funds to the town of Tiverton, the town of Burrillville and the town of Middletown from the funding allocated to public charter schools in the 2025 fiscal year budget in the amounts of $600,000 for Tiverton and $300,000 each for Burrillville and Middletown.
“This year, Tiverton suffered the most severe loss in school funding of any town in the state due to the increased property values,” Representative Edwards explained to the committee. “Tiverton, like many towns in the state, has experienced a huge population increase from out-of-staters — people or corporations coming in and buying up our lower-cost homes and turning them into bed and breakfasts and weekend houses, which has made property values go up. I’m asking that $1.2 million be reallocated to offset those losses. The governor added $20 million to the proposed budget for charter schools this year, and I’m requesting that $1.2 million of that be reallocated to these three communities.”
Rep. Terri Cortvriend (D-Dist. 72, Portsmouth, Middletown) cosponsored the resolution on behalf of the town of Middletown, and House Minority Whip David J. Place (R-Dist. 47, Burrillville, Glocester) cosponsored it on behalf of the town of Burrillville.
