Merger of education offices could save $1M

PROVIDENCE — Like clockwork, the question of how to run the state's public colleges and its public schools crops up at the State House every few years.

This time, a cost-savings committee convened by Gov. Gina Raimondo recommends merging the Office of Post-Secondary Education with the state Department of Education (RIDE). The Office of Post-Secondary Education is responsible for overseeing the the state's three public colleges, the Community College of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College and the University of Rhode Island.

The state's 300-plus public schools fall within the purview of RIDE.

The Commission on Government Efficiency isn't trying to merge the two boards that make broader policy decisions: the Council on Post-Secondary Education for the colleges and the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education for the public schools.

Rather, it is proposing to move or consolidate staff from the post-secondary agency to the Department of Education, a move that would reportedly save more than $1 million.

The position of post-secondary education commissioner, with a salary of about $200,000, would remain under the proposal.

Reaction to the plan was mixed on Wednesday, with the Office of Post-Secondary Education hedging its bets, and Rhode Island College issuing a no comment.

Tim Ryan, executive director of the Rhode Island Association of School Superintendents, didn't mince words.

"In my opinion, the board of higher education is a complete waste of time," he said, speaking for himself only. "URI and CCRI should each have their own board of trustees and CCRI should be made part of the Department of Education. That could force CCRI to be more aligned with the public school's career and tech mission."

URI, he said, is an elite institution with a very different mission than the state's other two public colleges. And, he said, the university gets only about 15 percent of its funding from the state.

Tim Duffy, the executive director of the Rhode Island Association of School Committees, shared Ryan's perspective.

"The state colleges negotiate their own contracts," he said. "They develop their own policies for academic performance. They decide whether to arm their police. Higher education mainly serves as an agency to distribute federal funds. The question is: Can that be accomplished by putting that responsibility into the RIDE office? They already have the background to do it."     

Post-Secondary Chairman Tim DelGiudice said, "The Council on Post-Secondary Education prides itself on its budget efficiencies and supports finding further efficiencies across the system. ...We applaud the Governor for her executive order to seek out efficiencies across state government, and the council will certainly review recommendations. We value public discourse and welcome the opportunity to find solutions befitting the state while maintaining the integrity of the (Office of Post-Secondary's) role in creating opportunities for more students to earn certificates and degrees, in closing persistent equity gaps, and in making post-secondary education more affordable for all Rhode Islanders." 

CCRI spokeswoman Amy Kempe said the college hasn't had an opportunity to review the commission’s findings in detail to understand what, if any, impact they would have on the college.

Rhode Island has been debating for years the issue of who does what in public education.

In 2014, the legislature created the position of post-secondary commissioner with a salary of $200,000, a staff of 12 and a budget of $2 million. It also created two separate boards — one for higher education and one for K-12 — while keeping the Board of Education.  

In 2012, the General Assembly passed a law abolishing the Board of Governors and the Office of Higher Education. It also dissolved the Board of Regents for K-12 education and created a single Board of Education to oversee pre-kindergarten through college.

A year earlier, the legislature had proposed eliminating the Office of Higher Education.

And in 2008, then House Finance Committee Chairman Steven M. Costantino suggested merging CCRI and RIC to save money, a move that went nowhere.