WARWICK – Voters rejected a proposed $50 million bond intended to cover rising costs for rebuilding Toll Gate and Pilgrim high schools and upgrading athletic and recreational facilities.
The measure failed with 57% voting against it and 43% in favor, amid low turnout of about 7%.
The rejected bond would have funded upgrades to athletic facilities for both schools, which are currently slated to be constructed on the site of the original school buildings.
Voters approved a $350 million bond in 2022 to replace the schools. But cost overruns forced the city to ask for more money, according to Mayor Frank Picozzi. Project managers estimated the final cost could exceed the approved amount by $13 to $18 million.
Opponents argued that Warwick cannot afford additional borrowing and warned that increased taxes would strain residents – particularly seniors on fixed incomes.
Supporters expressed concern that without the bond, the city may have to scale back athletic facilities that could help retain students and attract new ones to Warwick’s programs. "There will be still fields but reduced in scope and not compare to what other cities and towns are offering their student athletes," Warwick School Committee Chairman Shuan Galligan said. "The landscape of education in Rhode Island has become that all cities and towns are competing to retain students and attract those from other districts."
The town currently pays $3.2 million in out-of-district tuition a year, Galligan said, "for students going to other schools for pathways that we offer." With the school budget going up but enrollment declining each year, supporters such as Galligan believe improved athletic buildings would save the town money in the long run by retaining students and even attracting more.
Construction of the two school buildings themselves will continue as planned. Picozzi has stated that the city must now find a way to complete the project within the original $350 million budget, possibly including shared athletic facilities between the two schools.
Galligan stated that "turnout absolutely played a role." He said he will be meeting with city leadership next week on the path forward. "We certainly respect the voters' decision on Tuesday and are definitely going to continue to work as hard as we can for the residents and students of Warwick, present and future, to deliver the best product possible."
Veer Mudambi is the special projects editor at the Providence Business News. He can be reached at mudambi@pbn.com.
