The Portsmouth School Committee heard from members of the Prudence Island School Working committee this evening and began investigation of alternative transportation and Title I funding possibilities. Finance subcommittee chair Dick Carpender was filling in for a vacationing Sylvia Wedge, and Superintendent Susan Lusi was out with the flu. Even the public attendance at the session was thin, with just 10 people there when the meeting started. But the discussion on the Prudence Island School, as always, was engaged.

Reminding the committee of the presentation by the PI working group two meetings ago, Carpender kicked off the discussion. "There's a lot of stuff on the table that requires significant time. We could meet again for another year and I don't think some of this stuff would take place." Among the options presented at the previous meeting were converting PI to a charter school or a magnet, spinning it off as a separate school (now it is part of Melville), creating a separate district, donating the building to a historical society, and setting up an endowment. One additional question raised this evening was alternative transportation.

PI working committee members Bob Marshall and Allan Bearse were on hand to discuss the proposals. "A lot of the stuff may take a long time to implement," said Marsahll arguing in favor of getting something started. "When you're looking at PI it's always 'how can we solve it by the next budget.' What we're looking for is a commitment to have some time. Which of these options will you go with, and give the kids the time."

The discussion of transportation was particularly pointed, given the RI Department of Education's ruling that Portsmouth could only close the school if better arrangements were provided than the 10+ hour day relying on existing ferries would entail. But the logistics of contracting for ferry service are daunting. "Bell times are so different," said Marshall, which would require multiple trips, and "To get up to the level of safety and regularity, you'd be back to as much as keeping the school open. I don't think you want the liability of putting kids in an 18-foot whaler in February." But, possibly seeing this as the only near-term option, the committee unanimously moved to ask the administration to investigate transportation alternatives.

Committee member Jamie Heaney admitted that the "situation looked pretty bleak," but also suggested that Title 1 funding might be worth looking into, which would require splitting the PI school off from Melville. At the extreme end, the PI working group had suggested additional money might be available if it was completely split from the rest of the district. "The reason we looked at it, it started out more as a joke," explained Bearse, who went on to say that they gradually began to consider the notion seriously after they discovered "If we are our own district we qualify for rural funding, simply by separating the school, since the Island has only 180 permanent residents."

While it would require some additional administrative functions on the Island, Marshall had a slightly tongue-in-cheek, but not completely unrealistic solution to the multiple certifications required to be a one-room school district: "If you found a superintendent who had been a principal and started as an elementary school teacher, you'd have the perfect retirement job."

By a 6-0 vote, the committee approved further investigation of just the the Title 1 options. The school district part, said Carpender, "Is really more of a town council question."

There was a bit of high level — and carefully neutral — talk about the idea floated by the working committee to create an endowment to fund operating expenses. Since the School Committee has been advised that they cannot legally be involved with such an effort, they offered no substantive comment. Nevertheless, Marshall promised they would be moving forward. "We're committed to bringing the price down as much as possible," he said. "Even if we get an endowment that will generate $10 or $15 thousand."

I have to say, I'm always impressed by the energy and enthusiasm of the Prudence Islanders. I know I talked about the hidden tax that cuts to the school budget have created for parents in the mainland Portsmouth schools, but boy, these folks have really had to step up in a huge way. I can understand their frustration, and I really hope some combination of things can be worked out to improve the situation.

In other business, there was a report by Assistant Principal Joao Arruda on summer school and enrichment programs, a re-confirmation of the sound system award for PHS, and reports on enrollment (down by about 65 from projections) and year-to-date financials (which, said Finance Director Chris Tague, are tracking.)

According to Terri Cortvriend of the Gym Construction Oversight Committee, bids for finishing the mezzanine in the new gym will be coming in over the holiday break.

And the new Facilities Subcommittee, chaired by Michael Buddemeyer, will be kicking off after the holidays with a request for public involvement. "We'll be coming up with a plan of what's needed for repair, and for the upkeep of our schools," said Buddemeyer. I look forward to seeing what that committee comes up with, and I think it's great to have someone with Buddemeyer's property management experience leading that effort. If you have some expertise or thoughts to share, keep your eyes out for their call for volunteers early next year.