W. Warwick says it can’t pay teachers

WEST WARWICK, R.I. (AP) - The town of West Warwick says it cannot afford to pay its teachers.

Teachers at the town’s public schools receive 26 biweekly paychecks annually. But the School Department says it cannot afford to pay two of the checks that were supposed to cover accrued summer wages.

David Lussier, a lawyer for the school committee, told The Providence Journal that the school department expects to be short $3.3 million. He says the teachers’ salaries would have to be paid through litigation.

Donald Vanasse, the president of the teachers union, says he’s filed a complaint with the Department of Labor and Training. He says failure to make summer payroll would violate numerous state laws.