[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6521028,"mediaKeyId","5114469-94f99df210c75295974c27c165884cd5","parentId",5114469,"title","Portsmouth School Committee approves FY26 budget update, contracts, policy changes and bond amendment in unanimous votes","audioSeconds",1004,"startMs",3564000,"endMs",4568000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5114469-94f99df210c75295974c27c165884cd5&start=3564&end=4568","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5114469-94f99df210c75295974c27c165884cd5/thumbnail_3564000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6521028/Portsmouth/School-Districts/Rhode-Island/Portsmouth-School-Committee-approves-FY26-budget-update-contracts-policy-changes-and-bond-amendment-in-unanimous-votes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521028-21248fb3263a873310452d039253c1b0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447767&Signature=XBS0dPyRI9ArBq9i5u2WlPpcla91JFTtx3yGty981mmokkWaQNY0FasJ6IR1Qc3xWZjx4xaFd~i2HVYeTo801562n9TyOvzaoN9yNHjfP5SpggW2oS-CuXeKwSu-B9GZBmc5SoTVATxvleschXGP92r9Dp69VeiP--0XwiAcRXqcCLJl2k3AYK~kRa~xu2KDNYALHd6omzZMoZ7U5An8cD9JJuzilfuqHyisDvIn2-OA3PDZ1QDmvPeS2QkAW5WZzn0G6QJbbRvVv6ThRAiGKWreZ~tEmZPXSamBVAiFY2oCiJYSxMqVlMONugRQ61AnE-WlduIxzpV06zf02CT2~g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Portsmouth RI Live Stream","date","2025-07-01T00:00:00Z","article","The Portsmouth School Committee on July 1 approved a package of operating and capital items by unanimous votes (6–0), including a revised FY 2026 operating budget, several contract awards, a school construction amendment tied to the 2021 bond and final adoption of policy JLG (education of homeless children and youth).

Budget and state aid
Mister Derrick, a district finance staff member, told the committee that changes to the state budget increased district state aid by $103,735. \"The funding formula was up $9,962. High cost special ed went up $38,383, and group home aid went up $55,390. In total, state aid is being increased by a $103,735, and the town appropriation is being reduced by the same amount,\" Derrick said. The committee voted to adopt the revised FY 2026 operating budget; the vote was unanimous, 6–0. Committee members noted the action aligned the district numbers with the Town Council’s June 23 vote and depended on the state budget being allowed to take effect without the governor’s signature.

Construction amendment and capital projects
The committee approved an amendment to the district’s 2021 bond allocations with the Rhode Island School Building Authority. The amendment finalizes project allocations for work funded by the 2021 bond (total bond cost listed as $21,439,299 in committee materials) and reallocates $554,628 from other projects to complete Portsmouth Middle School bathroom work. Committee discussion made clear the amendment is an internal reallocation to finish the middle school bathrooms; the vote to approve signatures for the amendment was unanimous, 6–0.

Contract awards and procurement
- Owner’s project manager (OPM) Stage 1 & 2: The committee confirmed the contract award to Peregrine Group for Stage 1 and Stage 2 OPM services for a negotiated fee of $72,000 (period: June 2025 to the Stage 2 RIDE submission in February 2026). Vote: unanimous, 6–0.
- Snow and ice removal: Following a sealed‑bid process, the committee awarded a three‑year contract to Depont’s Landscaping for snow and ice removal services for the 11/01/2025–06/30/2028 period, with district discretion to negotiate up to two additional one‑year extensions. Vote: unanimous, 6–0.
- Food service management: The committee approved a one‑year food‑service management contract to Chartwells (a Compass Group company) for FY2025–26; the award continues the state‑level contracting arrangement for school food service and represents the fifth and final year of the current statewide contract. Vote: unanimous, 6–0.

Other fiscal actions
- Transfers: The committee approved six budget transfers over $5,000 since the last meeting (the largest funded technology equipment for the coming school year) and accepted a report of ten smaller transfers under $5,000 for informational purposes. Vote on transfers over $5,000: unanimous, 6–0.

Policy and personnel items
- Policy JLG (education of homeless children and youth): Committee member Miss McDade raised a minor typo on an immediate‑enrollment paragraph and the board approved the revised policy on final reading. The superintendent reported the district’s count of students experiencing homelessness had grown to 14, from about five when she began in the role. Vote: unanimous, 6–0.
- Personnel and minutes: The committee approved school committee and executive session minutes (06/10/2025) and other consent items; approvals were unanimous, 6–0.

Other motions
- The committee approved a PHS ski and snowboard club outing contingent on the club raising sufficient funds to cover costs; the motion included explicit contingency language so the district would not be financially responsible if fundraising failed. Vote: unanimous, 6–0.

Procedural notes
The committee opened the meeting with a moment of silence for recent local tragedies, conducted an executive session earlier in the evening and recessed to reconvene the executive session after the public session. The committee’s next regular meeting was scheduled for Aug. 26, 2025.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","School Committee Meeting: 7.1.25","oneSentenceSummary","At its July 1 meeting the Portsmouth School Committee voted unanimously on multiple operational items: a revised FY 2026 budget tied to state aid changes, the superintendent evaluation timeline, a 2021 bond amendment reallocating funds to middle school bathrooms, several contract awards and final approval of policy JLG on homeless students.","taxTitle","Portsmouth, School Districts, Rhode Island","taxId",72703,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6521034,"Portsmouth schools divert about 46,440 pounds of food waste through districtwide composting program",1844,1588000,3432000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5114469-94f99df210c75295974c27c165884cd5&start=1588&end=3432","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5114469-94f99df210c75295974c27c165884cd5/thumbnail_1588000.jpg","/articles/6521034/Portsmouth/School-Districts/Rhode-Island/Portsmouth-schools-divert-about-46440-pounds-of-food-waste-through-districtwide-composting-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521034-ab754d88371c6c1e5139847c0374f16a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447767&Signature=LIHBO9StPHafnH1aj2J1cAVztz-oUkW-ZGW8XJ14bRoXc-bCM2KXGKmsxMRnkS3aC5ebffdYQRTlp7~jfAd6g9Q2yGcacdhYSUJgiPbv-1TjZgEB~Ed-wQ0fU2ZhtjDM4YalcEGDkyYOXJmBa9pCt3H0v8hwdofufQ07evW8yYCaEqnpIHKKkACKgjVuM6Jz0WDqgHVmv3mz2hF-il4Wz-a5ZTMOk8pGJfVSvbN6kMW7ZnnRXNdvIZWmMbdx-qPWTSUd0Vx4zeAyOb5ULlMRzp3dVaBu2Z8NOAGiP2mnd1kuevQaTEF8vhcl566cER4JnCo~mHO~03q9BGlH08VP8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Eva Tuohy, a consultant with Waste Not Consulting, told the Portsmouth School Committee on July 1 that a districtwide composting and recycling program operating in the four public schools diverted 46,440 pounds of food scraps and compostable serviceware during the 2024–25 school year.

Tuohy presented the program’s objectives, waste-audit results and next steps, and said the districtwide system uses a uniform set of bins and signage and a commercial hauler, Black Earth Compost, to collect compostable material. “We were able to divert, 46,000 pounds 46,440 pounds of, food scraps and compostable service ware items,” Tuohy said.

The program matters to the district and town because Rhode Island landfills face long‑term capacity limits and schools can reduce local landfill waste. Tuohy noted the district’s elementary schools consistently achieved high diversion rates: “Melville and Hathaway elementary schools consistently reach an 85% diversion rate every single day, which is incredibly high and really impressive.” The program includes student and staff training, on‑site assistance at lunchroom waste stations and periodic waste audits.

Program results and differences among schools
- Black Earth Compost reported the districtwide pickup totals as: Portsmouth Middle School ~16,000 pounds; Melville Elementary ~14,000 pounds; Portsmouth High School ~8,000 pounds; Hathaway Elementary just over 7,000 pounds. Tuohy said kitchen/back‑of‑house waste from Chartwells, the district’s food service manager, is also composted.
- Elementary schools use compostable trays (the high school uses reusable trays because it has a dishwasher), and elementary students were estimated to number about 2,050 who received program education (Tuohy said this figure was an estimate).
- Hathaway implemented a “share cart” for unopened purchased food so edible food is reused rather than composted, and Tuohy recommended expanding that practice where appropriate.
- Portsmouth Middle School initially launched the program in October with mixed results; one waste audit showed only 41% of waste went to the landfill on the audited day. Tuohy said compliance at the middle school fell back to mostly grades 5 and 6 by year’s end and recommended a relaunch next year with more student leadership, centralized stations and clearer bin placement.
- At Portsmouth High School, early on‑site monitoring produced strong compliance, but participation dropped when adult monitoring was not present. Tuohy proposed making the program student‑led, adding club roles (a “waste champion,” communications lead), offering community service hours for participants, and building the program into underclassmen leadership so it survives senior turnover.

Recommendations and next steps
Tuohy recommended minor signage changes, better bin design at the high school (larger openings and covered compost bins so nonparticipants do not contaminate the stream), expansion of composting to kindergarten and pre‑K where feasible, and more cross‑school mentoring (for example, older students helping younger students at lunch stations). She said the district will continue periodic waste audits and on‑site check‑ins.

Committee members and staff raised coordination and funding questions. School Committee member Miss Skehan asked whether the program had been coordinated with the town’s single‑hauler recycling outreach and suggested students could become community educators. Tuohy said she had not yet coordinated directly with the town but would “do a little digging” and explore joint education options. Skehan also read a bill number from memory, saying a proposed state measure (House 5195) would establish a compost fund for municipalities; Tuohy said she would monitor the bill’s progress and that, if passed and made available to schools, it could provide financial incentives.

Superintendent Doctor Kenworthy and committee members thanked Tuohy and said the district intends to continue the program next year with Waste Not Consulting in a gradual‑release model, with district staff assuming more of the day‑to‑day responsibilities over time.

The presentation closed with committee agreement to keep working on student leadership, town coordination and small operational changes before the 2025–26 school year.","A consultant told the Portsmouth School Committee July 1 that a districtwide lunchroom composting and recycling program diverted 46,440 pounds this year and produced high diversion rates at elementary schools, while middle and high schools need more student-led accountability and signage.","actionData","errors"]

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Portsmouth School Committee approves FY26 budget update, contracts, policy changes and bond amendment in unanimous votes

Portsmouth schools divert about 46,440 pounds of food waste through districtwide composting program