The House Finance Committee heard testimony Tuesday on a bill introduced by Majority Leader Rep. John G. Edwards (D-70th District, Tiverton). The bill would reallocate funding to Tiverton and other communities in the 2025 budget in accordance with the state's school funding formula.
This resolution (2024-H 8266) deducts funds appropriated for public charter schools in the fiscal year 2025 budget to the Towns of Tiverton, Burrillville, and Middletown; $600,000 to the Towns of Tiverton; $600,000 to the Towns of Burrillville and Middletown; It authorizes the transfer of funds of $300,000 to each.
“This year, Tiverton suffered the most significant loss of school funding of any town in the state due to skyrocketing property values,” Congressman Edwards told the committee. “Tiverton, like many towns in the state, has experienced a significant increase in out-of-state population, which means people and businesses are coming in, buying up low-cost housing and turning it into B&Bs and weekend homes. I'm asking for $1.2 million to be reallocated to offset these losses by adding $20 million to the charter school budget this year. , I am requesting that $1.2 million of that be reallocated to these three communities.”
Rep. Terri Courtvilland (D-District 72, Portsmouth-Middletown) co-sponsored the resolution on behalf of the Town of Middletown, and House Minority Whip David J. Place (R-District 47, Burrillville-Glocester) co-sponsored the resolution on behalf of the Town of Burrillville.
