City’s Solution To Budget Crisis? Possibly Closing Down School District

Like many communities across the country, Woonsocket, Rhode Island is facing city budget issues.  But not too many are considering closing down the school district--all of it.

The State Education Commissioner has gone on the record saying "no", among other things, it's illegal.  But city officials floated the idea after district officials said they were going to run out of money very soon.  The Woonsocket School Committee plans to vote within a few days on a measure that would end the current school year April 5th, when they say the district will be out of money.   State law requires 180 days of school;  that would go to June 13th.  Woonsocket is not a huge community, but the town of just over 41,000 people is the sixth largest in the state of Rhode Island. 

   City Council members have suggested raising property taxes to offset the nearly 10 million defecit coupled with another 4 million in unpaid bills.  The mayor and school committee are asking the state to send them their June education allotment early to help avoid an early end to the school year.

  What the article did not address, and what critics are wondering about is,  how did the district get in such financial dire straits in the first place?