When it comes to public schools, they don’t build them like they used to.
In a move away from the traditional New England schoolhouse system with small neighborhood schools sprinkled through town, economic realities and a change in educational practice have energized the shift to sustainability, efficiency, the incorporation of technology, outdoor learning spaces, skylights, ventilation, and an abundance of fresh air and natural light.
When it comes to the number of buildings, less is more, which
saves dollars from an increasingly shrinking pool of financial resources that can be dedicated to educating.
Mattew LaRue, associate principal at HMFH Architects Inc. in Cambridge, Mass., the firm hired as the main consultant on Middletown’s nearly $200 million revamping of its entire school district inventory, said the modern educational model is similar to the coworking layouts that have been popularized in recent years, fostering collaboration and “visual connections between internal spaces.”
A recent presentation included the promise that when complete, Middletown students will enjoy access to daylight and outdoor views 90% of the school day. There will be open courtyards, LED lighting, on-site storm water retention, pollinator gardens, and “vacancy sensors.”
“These are the big factors,” LaRue said. “The research has been clear that these types of environments that get students away from rows of desks improve the learning experience. It’s about being hands-on and project-oriented.”
It’s also costly.
The school buildings in Middletown are some of the oldest in the state. All are more than a half-century old, and the high school and middle school were constructed in 1960 and 1958, respectively.
The need to address this aging stock became clear when in 2021 findings from DBVW Architects showed the district needed at a minimum about $190 million of work.
Voters in November 2023 approved a $190 million bond to address the issue.
And Middletown isn’t the only Rhode Island community going through the process of dealing with aging school buildings.
The R.I. Council on Elementary and Secondary Education in May approved more than $1.3 billion in new school construction projects across the state consisting of 59 projects in 11 communities.
Those projects include $250 million for renovations and construction in Barrington at the town high school and three elementary schools; $172.1 million for construction work at six East Greenwich schools; and $466.4 million for construction at 18 schools in Providence.
Then there’s Middletown. With the help of the $190 million bond issue, the town had $207.1 million worth of construction approved by the education council.
And while a groundbreaking in Middletown isn’t expected until the spring of 2025, with a ribbon-cutting in the fall of 2027, the planning and design work has been well underway.
The centerpiece is a new state-of-the-art combined middle school and high school with modern amenities, including a new auditorium and gymnasium.
Last month the town awarded a construction manager contract to Providence-based Gilbane Building Co. for constructing the new combined middle school and high school, while Warwick-based The Bentley Cos. was tapped to renovate the existing high school and elementary schools into a grade 2-5 learning center, community center, new administrative facilities and an early childhood learning complex for pre-K to first grade.
After months of worry that the town might be on the hook for the entire cost, officials recently received good news after Town Administrator Shawn Brown reported the bond for the construction had been approved for a 55% reimbursement by the R.I. Department of Education, projected to save the town close to $30 million in interest payments.
Middletown Public Schools Building Committee Co-Chair William Nash, a member of the town’s Planning Board who plans to run for an open School Committee seat in November, said that some of the details of the district’s construction plan could change between now and the groundbreaking, but the building footprints and the goals are set in stone.
“This is what they call 21st-century learning,” he said. “These are not the schools that I went to. And I went here.”
Anytime engineers and contractors begin work on decades-old sites, what will be unearthed and how high the cost of remediation can be a moving variable.
During a recent Schools Building Committee meeting inside the current administrative offices, a project consultant from Colliers International gave the latest update on the work of removing any hazardous materials from the high school site.
“We have a lot of asbestos in the floor tiles that will have to be addressed,” the consultant said, cautioning that a full abatement would run more than $1 million. “We would rather spend more money on educational enhancements.”
What further hurdles remain are unknown. Jobs like asbestos removal involve more than most people realize.
“You can’t just bring it to the dump,” Nash said.
The middle-high school proposal includes more than 500 sheets of drawings and 2,000 pages of specifications.
Schools Building Committee Co-Chair Edward M. Brady, an engineering and construction manager by trade, has been involved in the town’s construction process for more than two years.
He said the fact they have finalized contracts to secure the design, construction and consulting team should accelerate progress.
“They jump to the tune quickly once contracts are executed,” he said. “Everyone needs to be patient. There is a lot to be done.”
LaRue, who has worked on several similar projects in multiple states, understands the marathon mixed with local politics that make any large-scale change to something as intimate as where residents send their children a great challenge.
For months, a group of concerned parents decried the plan to have middle school students and high school students in the same building, leading to another debate on the placement of separate entrances for each.
“This is kind of a new model for Rhode Island,” LaRue said. “But it’s about breaking down these barriers. So, a middle school teacher can tell their class, ‘We are going to spend an hour in the high school’s science lab today.’ They are already prepared. And students are not stuck in their cell seven hours a day.”
