PROVIDENCE – Voters in seven local communities approved Tuesday approximately $867 million in bonds to finance new school building construction and renovations to existing school structures. One community in Washington County, however, rejected such a bond question.
The bond measures are part of Rhode Island’s ongoing initiative to address public school infrastructure across the state. The initiative has led to multiple communities in the last five years, including East Providence, North Providence and Pawtucket, either erecting new school buildings or refurbishing existing ones.
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In North Kingstown, 61.8% of voters said no to a $222.5 million bond that would have both built a new consolidated middle school to replace the aging Wickford and Davisville middle schools and a new public safety complex to replace the current facility on Post Road. Close to two-thirds of town voters also rejected Tuesday a $25 million bond to build a new indoor recreation center.
Past local published reports noted that the town of North Kingstown was split on the school and public safety complex bond measure, with supporters saying the aging facilities needed to be replaced. Others in town, however, told local outlets they opposed the bond plan citing the town combined those two plans into a single large amount and had concerns over high interest rates.
Other school ballot questions on Tuesday, though, were approved by voters. In Barrington, 63.1% said yes to a $250 million bond to finance school repairs and adding new classrooms across the district to support potential enrollment growth.
Voters in both Bristol and Warren also overwhelmingly approved Tuesday a $200 million bond to build a new Mt. Hope High School. School officials said a new high school is needed because renovations to the current 1960s-era school building will not meet today’s educational needs.
Close to 70% of voters in Cumberland signed off on a $52 million bond to construct a new B.F. Norton Elementary School, as well as install new playgrounds at Ashton, Cumberland Hill and Garvin elementary schools. Ditto for the town of East Greenwich, where voters gave their OK on a $150 million bond to build a new Frenchtown School, renovate or build a new replacement building at Hanaford Elementary School, renovate East Greenwich High School and create an early education center at Meadowbrook Farms Elementary School.
Three out of every four voters in Lincoln approved Tuesday a $25 million bond to make various renovations, including new gymnasiums and new STEM classrooms, to the town’s four elementary schools. Lincoln voters also overwhelmingly approved a $14 million bond to build a centralized rescue station in town.
In a narrow 51.5% to 48.5% decision, Middletown voters approved a $190 million bond to construct a new middle-high school, which will feature approximately 200,000 square feet of learning space, north of the current Gaudet Middle School.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
