ARTICLE V FUNDING PRIORITIES

Scituate School District

A. The Committee recognizes that absent an exigent fiscal emergency impacting the municipality and triggering remedies pursuant to the Rhode Island Fiscal Stability Act, RIGL 45-9-1 et seq., the Committee is required by law to ensure that all employee salary payments are made. Such salary payments are understood by the Committee to be important to its employees, including the Association membership, and are and will be treated as a priority.

B. Following the Committee's legal obligation to make salary payments pursuant to law, the Committee will then ensnre that each pupil in a classroom has instructional materials for his/her own use. Then, the Committee will allocate funds to fixed charges, operation, auxiliary agencies, the purchase of supplies, materials of instruction, and support of activities and purchases of items directly benefiting pupils, maintenance, and capital outlay portions of budgeted expenditures as the Committee deems appropriate.

C. The Committee agrees that before a change in instructional materials or curriculum program is made, the Superintendent or his/her designee will discuss proposed changes and/or proposed selections with the appropriate teachers in the school and will discuss such proposed changes in relationship to the amount of time needed for implementations. Before a change is made in the secondary level, the department head, Superintendent or his/her designee, and principal will discuss a change with the teachers of the department. The recommendation of the teachers affected will be considered by the Administration in its final decision.

D. Due to the contingency aspect of the availability of funds, the Committee will, with due regards to priorities as enumerated in Article V, Section A, provide sufficient teaching equipment and supplies as needed in the school system.