On Jan. 22, I presented our proposed 2020-21 school department budget to the School Committee. Over the next several weeks, the committee will examine our budget, carefully looking at every line item, every dollar spent, before sending it on to the Cranston City Council for review and approval. As families and as Cranston community members, it is important that you understand the budget process and the timeline.

Although this proposal is unveiled in January, the CPS leadership team actually begins budget process in late November before we have received much of our data for the next school year. For example, financial and population assumptions are made very early and may not reflect the final numbers when our budget is implemented in July. Some financial predictions are made on current year revenue or expenditures, and staffing decisions must be made before course requests/teacher recommendations are made. The proposed budget must be submitted to the city of Cranston by March 1, 2020.

Proper funding of our schools is important. We are building Cranston’s future. This is our job and our responsibility. While our history is important, our future is critical. As we write the five-year strategic plan for Cranston Public Schools, plan for construction projects and create this budget, we look to our future and we ask ourselves, how do we best serve our students? The answer is by having a budget that supports our efforts in curricula, facilities and instruction.

Our schools must serve the diverse needs of our stakeholders, students, families and staff. We are committed to building and supporting an educational community that delivers a high quality curriculum through evidence-based instruction that is accessible and responsive to the needs of all of our learners.

Our budget includes funding for new curriculum requirements as determined by the state in English Language Arts, staff compensation, outside tuitions, and addresses a looming $200,000 budget deficit for unpaid lunch debt.

Cost factors also include increases in contractual obligations including increases in pension costs, increases in special education and non-special education “pathway” tuitions and out-of-district charter schools.

The number of students now attending charter schools and “pathway” programs – outside of our city – results in over $3,161,376 in tuitions paid out to those schools and school departments.

Our district has the second largest school population in Rhode Island and I am proud of our schools, staff, students and programs. However, we must continue to seek improvements in all we do.

We cannot rest on our good reputation. It is simply not enough.

We must continue to move forward in an impactful and focused way.

We must invest dollars in programs that expand opportunities for all students.

We must recognize that schools need to prepare our students with relevant, innovative skills for their lives and careers.

We must provide facilities that are flexible, clean, safe and conducive to an aligned instructional system and responsive to the needs of our 21st-century learners.

We must build Cranston’s future and we must do it now.

As the budget process continues, I hope to have your support in requesting the needed funding for our schools. Our students and their success depends on it.

To see the 2020-21 CPS budget and presentation, visit our district website at cpsed.net.

Jeannine Nota-Masse is superintendent of Cranston Public Schools.