BARRINGTON – The town’s middle school is the recipient of a $1.5 million energy bonus from the R.I. Department of Education as being an energy-efficient learning environment, the department announced Tuesday.
RIDE said Barrington Middle School qualified for the bonus after it was designated as a National Green Ribbon School for the 2020-21 academic year by the U.S. Department of Education. Such schools are recognized for reducing their impacts on the environment, RIDE said, as well as improving health and wellness and providing sustainable education in the process.
“We are tremendously proud Barrington Middle School has been recognized as a National Green Ribbon School and has qualified for the Energy Bonus,” Barrington School Superintendent Michael Messore said in a statement. “This honor is reflective of the school community’s dedication to cost-saving, health promoting, and performance-enhancing sustainability practices. Barrington is honored to celebrate this accomplishment alongside our students and staff and serve as a model of 21st century learning.”
RIDE says the additional funding comes as part of a 2% state foundational housing aid bonus, which is offered to Green Ribbon schools that meet all energy prerequisites within the Northeast Collaborative for High Performance Schools Protocol. RIDE spokesperson Victor Morente told Providence Business News Tuesday that the school’s bonus will help free up additional bond capacity for the Barrington Public Schools’ next school facility plan.
State and local school officials, after touring the school – which opened in 2019 – and dedicated a special plaque commemorating Barrington Middle School’s federal designation. R.I. Education Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green said in a statement Tuesday that high-quality school facilities are foundational to promoting excellence in learning for every child in schools across the Ocean State, and Barrington Middle School serves as an example of that.
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.