PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Barrington School Committee Approves “Option 5” As School Construction Plan
BARRINGTON, RI – The Barrington School Committee voted unanimously (5-0) on October 19, 2023, to approve a school construction plan that invests significantly in Barrington High School and reduces the number of elementary schools in Barrington from four to three.
Pending bond authorization by Barrington voters at the November 7 Special Election, this option, titled “Option 5”, will consolidate Barrington’s elementary schools to three PK-5 neighborhood schools, reduce the number of building transitions for students, expand learning space at all District schools (minus the Middle School) with new and renovated facilities, and provide a twenty-first century learning environment that fosters collaboration and enhanced teaching and learning opportunities. This plan reflects an investment in both Barrington’s educational infrastructure and the community’s educational future.
As part of the process of preparing Stage II of its Necessity of School Construction application for the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), Tecton Architects, the architectural firm providing services for Barrington Public Schools, presented several building project options for the Committee and community to consider. These options included new construction, renovation, expansion, and repair at some or all BPS schools, and were vetted and reviewed by project stakeholders prior to the School Committee’s selection vote.
The School Committee considered many factors in the selection of Option 5, including the project’s impact on educational programming across the district, the overall cost of the project, and logistics that will preserve the student experience during the construction period. Thursday night’s approved motion included explicit directives to the Building Committee, architect, and OPM to provide a full menu of cost-saving options and operational considerations to reduce the project’s financial impact on taxpayers. The Building Committee, specifically, has been charged with providing a menu of cost-saving items, ensuring an operational plan that supports single drop-off and pick-up times at each building, completing an operational analysis of Pre-K, and coordinating on a long-term programming plan at Barrington High School.
The selection of a building project plan allows the Barrington School Building Committee, Tecton Architects, and Downes Construction (the district’s owner’s project manager) to move forward with preparation of Barrington’s Stage II application. Stage II submissions are due by February 15, 2024, and the School Committee will vote on the final comprehensive Stage II application prior to its submission to RIDE.
Following the selection of Option 5, the Barrington School Building Committee is hosting two more opportunities for community engagement before the November 7 referendum on Saturday, October 21, at 10 AM and Wednesday, October 25, at 6 PM, both at Barrington Middle School. All residents are encouraged to attend to become informed participants in the Stage II process.
Residents can find project documents and presentations, information about financial responsibility and projected tax impact, project timeline, and more on the building project’s official website, www.barringtonschoolsproject.com.