The Newport City Council voted 5-2 Tuesday night to pursue a school regionalization ballot question that could save the city $4 million annually, though the Rhode Island General Assembly has yet to approve the necessary legislation to put the question before voters.
The resolution calls for combining administrative functions only between Newport and Middletown school districts, sharing one superintendent and one finance office while keeping teachers and students in their respective communities. However, any ballot question requires new legislation from the General Assembly, which won’t reconvene until January.
School Committee Also Backs Plan
The Newport School Committee passed a similar resolution supporting regionalization by a 5-2 vote, with members Stephanie Winslow and Robert Leary voting against.
State Rep. Lauren Carson, D-Newport, told What’sUpNewp by phone Thursday that the communities will have to draft the question language and present it to their legislators to be presented to the full body when they return in January. “It probably has to happen pretty quickly in the new session in order to set up the special election,” Carson said.
State Sen. Louis P. DiPalma, D-Middletown, told What’sUpNewp by phone Thursday that the General Assembly would have to approve the legislation and that it likely would. “I look forward to putting this forward if it comes before me,” DiPalma said.
Financial Stakes Drive Urgency
Councilor Jeanne-Marie Napolitano, who sponsored the resolution, emphasized the dramatic increase in state funding. According to the resolution, regionalization would boost state reimbursement for Newport’s Rogers High School construction from 52.5 percent to 80.5 percent — potentially saving tens of millions of dollars.
However, questions remain about whether these financial projections are achievable under the proposed administrative-only merger and existing project timelines. Newport’s new Rogers High School is set to host a ribbon-cutting on Friday, Aug. 22, having been under construction since 2022. Middletown’s new middle-high school project had its groundbreaking in June 2025, with a ribbon cutting planned for fall 2027.
Newport School Committee Chair James Dring confirmed the enhanced reimbursement comes from existing state law, though the administrative-only merger proposed in the resolution would not qualify for all available bonuses. Under Rhode Island General Laws § 16-7-40, regional school districts receive an increased school housing aid ratio of 2 percent for each grade consolidated, but the current proposal keeps students in their respective communities.
Additionally, most state bonus incentives require construction to commence by June 30, 2024, and be completed by June 30, 2029, raising questions about eligibility for projects already underway or recently completed.
“The total amount that I remember this figure because I was shocked — I think it’s a high $154 million in principal and interest over 25 years. What Newport would have to pay out is $79 million of it. The rest would be paid for by the state,” Napolitano said during the meeting.
Newport School Committee member Beth Cullen warned of immediate financial consequences from inaction. “We are losing students, and when we lose students, we lose money. The state formula is all about enrollment,” she said, noting that failure to act would mean “leaving $4 million annually on the table.”
The resolution also includes 50 percent reimbursement for in-district busing, with Cullen highlighting that each bus costs $100,000 annually and runs half-empty. “If we can somehow figure out a way to be big boys and girls and merge our busing, that’s $3 million for our communities,” she said.
Opposition Cites Process Concerns
Councilor Stephanie Smyth led opposition efforts, arguing for more comprehensive planning before moving forward. “These conversations have not been with all of our elected officials being able to obtain the same information,” she said, proposing to delay the vote until a joint meeting could be arranged with both communities’ councils, school committees and the Rhode Island Department of Education.
Smyth’s motion to continue failed 4-3, with councilors Ellen Pinnock and Xaykham Khamsyvoravong joining her in support of the delay. However, the council did approve Smyth’s amendment requiring the city manager to coordinate a special meeting between both communities’ governing bodies and RIDE.
Councilor Ellen Pinnock expressed concerns about equity and community engagement. “Real community engagement is not asking people to react to a plan they had no role in creating,” she said, warning about potential power imbalances between the communities.
Legislative History Complicates Path Forward
Councilor David Carlin provided crucial context about the legislative requirements, noting that the 2022 regionalization question “died on Nov. 8, 2022” when Newport voters rejected it despite Middletown’s approval. He emphasized that no current legislation exists and the General Assembly would need to introduce new bills.
The 2022 draft legislation, obtained by What’sUpNewp, shows the complexity involved in regionalization. That bill would have authorized the establishment of a regional school district with detailed provisions for governance, financing and operations, but it never became law after Newport voters rejected the proposal.
Parent and Community Concerns
Parent concerns emerged during public comment, with special education advocate Melody O’Brien questioning how regionalization would affect vulnerable students. “How is this going to work if both Middletown and Newport are combined and only have a certain amount of budget and more children?” she asked.
O’Brien described her frustration with Newport’s current special education services, saying she “had to pull my kid out because there’s no money for funding” and went through mediation over federally mandated IEPs.
Another parent, Amy Yozura, supported the Academic Integration Advisory Commission but called for more detailed planning. “It doesn’t seem responsible to say we’re going to move forward with this now and figure out the details later. There’s just too much on the line,” she said.
Academic Integration Commission Established
The resolution establishes an Academic Integration Advisory Commission by Sept. 30 to discuss educational improvements, with both Newport and Middletown providing equal representation. The Newport School Committee has recommended that at least 51 percent of any regionalization reimbursements flow back into academic programming.
Historical Context and Next Steps
Newport’s 2022 regionalization vote failed by 52.8 percent to 47.2 percent, despite Middletown voters approving both regionalization (64.5 percent) and a $235 million school building project (73.9 percent). The current effort represents a second attempt with modified terms focusing solely on administrative consolidation.
The resolution now directs city staff to coordinate the requested joint meeting with Middletown officials and RIDE. However, the earliest any ballot question could appear would be after the General Assembly drafts, introduces and passes new regionalization legislation.
Napolitano defended the urgency despite these legislative hurdles, noting she has “agreements with people that would moderate” community discussions and emphasizing the improved state offer. “I have been on the council for 30 years. We didn’t get more than 25 percent reimbursement for any improvements we made on any of our schools in Newport before this time,” she said.
Voting in favor of the resolution were councilors David Carlin, Lynn Underwood Ceglie, Charlie Holder, Napolitano and Khamsyvoravong. Smyth and Pinnock voted against.
What’sUpNewp has reached out to Councilor Jeanne-Marie Napolitano, Matt Sheley, public affairs officer for the Town of Middletown, state Sen. Dawn Euer and the Rhode Island Department of Education for comment.
Newport City Council Resolution
