PROVIDENCE – With the currently-under-construction Mount Pleasant High School as his backdrop, on Monday Mayor Jorge O. Elorza announced a “robust” public-school facilities planning process and minimum $200 million and up to $400 million upgrade in public-school infrastructure over the next decade.
“Our students deserve to be in schools that inspire them to learn,” said Elorza in a statement. “Our schools of the past cannot properly serve our students’ needs of the future and this is our chance to take a leap forward.”
He noted the city had the ability to borrow up to $400 million if more funding was needed after approval. Previously, the city explored this option through a 10-year debt analysis with FirstSouthwest, a fiscal adviser.
“With the city’s finances improving, we can make investments in the things that really matter,” he said in a statement.
Superintendent Christopher N. Maher is “enthused” by the move and encourages “the community to help us identify the most-critical infrastructure priorities for the moment and to envision the most-innovative solutions for the future.”
Not the first step in Elorza’s plan to upgrade Providence public-school facilities, his FY 2018 budget included funding for a school-infrastructure consulting team – whose mission is to develop a capital plan for the school system with help from the community and administrative public outreach.
He appointed Frank Locker to steer the committee. He holds a Ph.D. in architecture from Edinburgh University.
Elorza’s plan comes four months after a report was published by the working group All In: Providence Education Summit, which particularly highlighted the need to address “critical health and safety issues” in they city’s schools.
Adeola Oredola, All In: Providence Education Summit coordinator, said: “It’s critical that we have school buildings that match our vision for learning in Providence. This is an opportunity to come together and make sure we’re creating the conditions for students and teachers to thrive. … To get there, we need a comprehensive dialogue around facilities that includes current realities, creative ideas, environmental justice/sustainability, racial equity, and most importantly what our students say they need.”
Emily Gowdey-Backus is a staff writer for PBN. You can follow her on Twitter @FlashGowdey or contact her via email, gowdey-backus@pbn.com.
