North Kingstown’s school finance advisory committee recommended moving Wickford Middle School fields into the base project and sending tennis court replacement through capital planning.

North Kingstown, R.I. — North Kingstown’s school Budget and Finance Advisory Committee voted Monday night to recommend that the School Committee move athletic fields for the new Wickford Middle School out of the project’s add-alternate list and into the base design, according to the North Kingstown Budget & Finance Advisory Subcommittee’s published meeting recording.

The committee also voted to recommend that replacement of the North Kingstown High School tennis courts go through the district’s capital planning process, and it heard a report on fiscal 2026 year-end figures that point to a possible surplus. All of the committee’s votes are advisory; the School Committee makes the final decisions.

Wickford Middle School fields

The field funding came up during a discussion of athletic facilities. A speaker said the fields for the middle school are currently listed as add-alternates, meaning extras included only if money allows, at about $2.5 million for the two fields.

A speaker said the Building Advisory Committee had discussed moving some alternates into the base project and agreed it was too early, because final cost estimates were still coming in. That speaker said the estimates were expected “within the next month or so.”

One member argued that the fields were promised as part of the project and are necessary for the middle school’s educational program. That member said voters approved $137 million and asked whether the district was “just kidding ourselves” that it could not find money for the fields. Another member said, “I think the field is a non-negotiable,” and argued the longer it stays on the alternate list, the harder it will be to add.

A speaker who disagreed asked where the $2.5 million would come from, and said moving the fields into the base would put the project over budget at that point.

A motion to recommend that the School Committee move the fields “off the adds and go on to the base” passed with five yes votes and one no vote, according to the count read aloud at the meeting. The member voting no said the vote was consistent with what was discussed at the Building Advisory Committee. A speaker explained that advisory committees can only make recommendations and that the School Committee decides.

High school tennis courts

Superintendent Kenneth Duva said three of the six high school tennis courts are not usable and the other three are being used for practice only. He said an engineer was assessing drainage and layout, and that a request for proposals was being prepared but had not gone out yet.

Duva said earlier estimates were in the range of $500,000, but that with drainage and site work the cost could be up to a million dollars. He said the goal is to do the work in the spring so the courts are ready next fall. Teams are currently using courts under an agreement with the Jamestown School Department, he said.

One member said a million-dollar spend should be weighed against other unfunded needs. Two members said the town should share the cost because of its recreation use, and a speaker said usage records were being pulled. The committee voted to recommend that the School Committee ensure the courts go through the asset management process for the FY27 capital improvement plan submission.

Turf and track replacement

Duva presented estimates from the company that maintains the high school turf: $675,000 to replace the turf system and $360,000 for the track at current prices. The memo said the School Committee has assigned $1,075,000 toward the project so far. Duva said the district appears on track and recommended sticking to replacement around 2030. One member raised safety concerns about cracks in the track. The committee voted to bring the report forward to the School Committee for consideration.

Fiscal 2026 year-end numbers

The district’s finance director reviewed a pre-close budget-to-actual report, which is still subject to audit. Revenue showed a shortfall of $69,139, but the director said the district did not need its planned $500,000 draw from fund balance, or reserves. The director said about $330,000 of a high school boiler replacement and some equipment purchases were paid from the operating budget rather than reserves.

The director said the district is looking at a potential surplus of about $900,000, with a net positive change in fund balance of about $800,000 after a $131,970 playground transfer. The director said about $115,000 in supplies went unspent and plans to ask department heads and principals why. No vote was needed on the report.

Other business

The committee voted to table its meeting minutes, which members said were improperly noticed. The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 14.

This story was sourced from the complete transcript of the meeting and carefully summarized with an LLM. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, the possibility of transcription errors could lead to inaccuracies. How we report meeting stories →