Democrat Playbook Chapter 1: Instill fear and worry into the voting public by creating a reality that simply doesn’t exist.
“In their letters to the editor, published in the September 26th issue of the Sakonnet Times, Andrew Rhyne, Megan Gonzalez, and Bonnie Phinney attempt to mislead the public with false claims about republican school committee members, candidates and town committee. These letters suggest that we are aligned with Moms for Liberty, support book bans, oppose anti-bullying and anti-hazing policies, and refuse to fund our schools. Let’s start by addressing the claim that republican school committee members and the Little Compton Republican Town Committee are aligned with Moms for Liberty. This accusation is completely unfounded and has no factual basis. The Little Compton Republican Town Committee does not endorse, support, or coordinate with any third-party organizations. The supposed connection stems from private citizen Robert Chairadio’s attendance at the May 8, 2024, school committee meeting, where he voiced his personal views on the rewrite of Title IX. At no point did Chairadio claim to represent Moms for Liberty. This can be verified by the video of the meeting, which is publicly available at LCRIGOP.org. Robert has been visiting all of the schools in Rhode Island talking to school committees, not just Little Compton. Nationally, Moms for Liberty, along with several other organizations and states filed a federal lawsuit in Kansas against the U.S. Department of Education regarding changes to Title IX. Yet, Rhyne, Gonzalez, and Phinney have wrongfully connected Chairadio’s comments, the national lawsuit, and the Little Compton Republican Town Committee in an effort to create a narrative that simply doesn’t exist. In his letter, Rhyne even claimed, “M4L has focused on taking control of local school boards to promote extreme far-right views.” This statement implies that Moms for Liberty is attempting to influence the Little Compton School Committee, yet there is absolutely no evidence to support such an accusation. As an independent thinker, leader, and listener, I am focused on what is best for Little Compton, without influence or pressure from outside groups or ideologies.
“If those in leadership positions are not willing to support a budget that adequately serves our student population and fosters extracurricular activities, we must ask ourselves: Do they genuinely care about our school and our children?” - Megan Gonzalez. The answer is a resounding YES. I am deeply invested in this school—I attended this school, as did my children. Ms. Gonzalez wants readers to believe that I am against funding for important school programs. This simply isn’t true. Let me provide some context. At the February 28, 2024, School Committee Special Meeting and Budget Workshop, we reviewed the proposed budget for the upcoming school year. The school had ended the previous year with a surplus of $114,000. It’s a well-known fact that our enrollment has been declining, yet the budget continues to rise each year. Currently, we have 183 Little Compton residents attending Pre-K through 8th grade, along with 32 tuition students. It costs approximately $26,000 to educate each student, while the school charges non-residents only $6,000 to attend. In good faith, and to show both the Budget Committee and taxpayers that the School Committee is mindful of the rising costs, I suggested that we apply the $114,000 surplus to the 2025 budget. However, Chairman Auty, Vice Chair Ayotte, and Secretary Gonzalez did not want to apply this surplus to the upcoming budget. The vote was 3-2, of passing a budget without applying the surplus with myself and Susan Kinnane voting no for the budget. There was never any question of my support for school programs. My concern was with a committee that appears to simply rubber-stamp any financial request without considering the long-term impact on taxpayers. Responsible budgeting ensures that we can continue to support the programs that make our school great while maintaining the trust of the community.
“Rocha opposed smart energy decisions and long-term budget planning and was vocally opposed to sensible anti-hazing policies,” claimed Andrew Rhyne. This statement is misleading and does not reflect the reality of my record. Let’s look at the facts: During the December 9, 2020, School Committee meeting, under Action 11:2, I voted in favor of approving the Little Compton School LED Lighting Project. The motion passed unanimously via roll call. This was a smart energy decision to upgrade the school’s lighting system to LED, which reduced energy consumption and saved significantly on the monthly electricity bill. The savings generated by the upgrade covered the cost of installation, resulting in no additional expense to taxpayers—a win-win for everyone. Furthermore, at the April 19, 2023, School Committee meeting, I again supported a smart energy initiative: installing a solar system on the school roof. This motion, which also passed unanimously, aimed to offset the school’s monthly electric costs of $9,000 and potentially reduce the energy costs of other town buildings. In addition to these projects, both the school and the town have invested in a solar farm in Warren to further reduce electricity costs for the community. I have consistently supported sustainable energy projects and made sound financial decisions that benefit both the school and the town. Mr. Rhyne’s claim that I oppose smart energy decisions is simply untrue. I believe I have done my fair share to ensure we invest in sustainable energy solutions whenever possible, all while maintaining fiscal responsibility and long-term planning for the community’s benefit.
At the May 10, 2023, School Committee meeting, we discussed and voted on Anti-Hazing Policy 1014, which stated: “Hazing is also prohibited at a location, activity, function, or program that is not school-related if the act or acts in question…” Chair Auty, Vice Chair Ayotte, and Secretary Gonzalez voted in favor of this policy, while Susan Kinnane and I voted against it. Let me be clear: nobody wants to see a child bullied or be the victim of hazing. However, our concern was that this policy extends the school’s authority to investigate potential hazing incidents that may occur inside private homes or at other non-school-related locations. We felt strongly that incidents occurring in private residences, or other similar locations, should fall under the jurisdiction of law enforcement and not the school. Schools should focus on incidents that occur under their purview, while matters involving private property should be handled by the appropriate authorities. It’s important for the community to understand the reasoning behind our votes. We are not against anti-hazing measures, but we believe in maintaining the proper boundaries between school jurisdiction and private matters. For those who wish to see the discussion and our rationale in more detail, all School Committee meetings are available for viewing on the school’s YouTube channel.
“Susan Kinnane has advocated for the removal of books,” claimed Andrew Rhyne. This is yet another unfounded accusation. The discussion at the March 13, 2024, School Committee meeting focused on Policy 5002 - Library Media Center, which addressed parental access to student library records. At the time, the school was prohibiting parents from knowing what books their children were checking out of the library. Through our persistence, we successfully added language stating, “Parents have the right, in accordance with FERPA, to access their child’s circulation record.” The aim was never to ban or remove books but to ensure transparency and respect for parents’ rights to be informed about their child’s reading choices. Additionally, there has been a WMS Library Catalog link added on the school’s website homepage, which allows the public to view the entire library collection. This change was about improving communication and providing access to information—not restricting it.
In addition to addressing these baseless accusations, we want to outline our platform on education to provide clarity on where we stand. The Republican school committee members, candidates, and members of the Town Committee are not extremists. We are dedicated community members who want the best for Little Compton’s students, families, and taxpayers.
(Released June 2024) Advancing Academic Performance, Our students deserve the best education possible. We support initiatives that advance academic performance, provide resources for teachers, and ensure our school system remains top-notch. We believe in fostering creative thinking skills in all aspects of learning, with emphasis on high standards for learning in literacy and mathematics.
Parental Rights in Education, We believe that parents are the primary educators of their children. We support policies that respect parental rights and support educational choices that best fit each child's needs. We support parental notification of any and all intended policy changes. We believe that parental involvement is key to a child’s educational success.
Mike W Rocha II
Little Compton Republican Town Committee - Chairman
Little Compton School Committee Member
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