Press Release

Portsmouth, Rhode Island – 7/29/2010 - At 9:00am this morning at the Portsmouth Canvassing Offices, David Croston, on behalf of all Portsmouth school supporters, submitted a request for referendum asking for an additional $765,301 for the Portsmouth Schools. That represents a total school budget request of $36,293,021 or a 1.5% increase from FY2010. If successful, the referendum would increase taxes $0.204 per thousand or $71.44 annually for a home valued at $350,000. Last evening, the Portsmouth Town Council voted a $0.036 increase per thousand. In total, were the referendum to be successful, the Portsmouth Tax Rate would increase $0.24 per thousand from $11.265 in FY2010 to $11.505 in FY2011.

The referendum campaign will kick off in earnest this weekend with a signing station at Sandy Point Beach and volunteers canvassing their neighborhoods. Volunteers will be present on Monday & Tuesday night at Seveney Field, a rally is scheduled at the intersection of 138 and 138a on Tuesday night, and signing stations will be manned next Thursday and Friday at the Portsmouth High School from 6-9 am and 4-7 pm.

“We need to stand-up for Portsmouth education. Our system has delivered the most efficient system for the dollar in all of Rhode Island. It is easy in these difficult times to blame the institution, but it is honestly misplaced. Education is a fundamental right and what drove many of us to Portsmouth. Our home values and the economic opportunities for our kids, grandchildren and neighbors hinge on a vigorous education. It would be shortsighted and purely politic not to see the benefits of our investment in education. As I have stated previously, a 1% decline in the average home is $3,500; which is very plausible were we to underfund our Schools. $71.44 or $5.95 per month is a worthwhile investment in our community,” states David Croston, founder of Save Our Schools.