State officials prioritizing needs following study into RI school building conditions

Posted: Sep 14, 2017 4:47 PM EDT
Updated: Sep 14, 2017 4:47 PM EDT
By: Chloe Leshner
cleshner@abc6.com
@cleshnerabc6

We're digging deeper into a first of its kind study into Rhode Island's crumbling classrooms. Now that state officials have a pretty good grasp about just how bad the schools are, 2 questions need to be answered. How to fix it and how to pay for it.

That report paints a grim picture of the conditions Rhode Island students learn in and with a $2.2 billion price tag to get every public school in pristine condition, the task force now has to prioritize what realistically can get done first.

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2017 State of Rhode Island Schoolhouses Report

Click here to read the facilities assessment report released today. The RIDE website also has a clickable map that allows you to read individual reports for every single school building in the state. To see that map, click here.

Notable information from the reports include:

• $627.6 million in immediate work is required to make all RI schools "warm, safe, and dry" (fire alarms, roof and window replacement).
• $2.2 billion would bring all facilities up to "aspirational standards", which includes repairs as well as creating 21st century learning environments.
• 54% of RI's traditional schools can accommodate 350 students or fewer, but average enrollment in 2016-17 was 488.
• Sample facility deficiency costs by district:

             Barrington -- $47.8 million
             East Providence -- $137.5 million
             Providence -- $372.4 million
             Tiverton -- $46 million
             Warwick -- $190 million

• Sample facility deficiency costs by school building:

              Barrington Middle School -- $21.4 million
              East Providence High School -- $38.7 million
              Classical High School -- $17.3 million
              Tiverton High School -- $22.4 million
              Warwick Vets -- $27.3 million

There is already news coverage regarding these reports online from Linda Borg (here) and Dan McGowan (here).

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Lisa M. Nelson | OEHCRI
Outreach Coordinator
410 South Main Street, 3rd Floor
Providence, RI 02903
c: 315.278.4362

RI schools need $2.2B in repairs. Here are 12 things everyone should know

By Dan McGowan, WPRI.com Reporter
Published: September 13, 2017, 2:30 pm  Updated: September 13, 2017, 7:10 pm

Governor names 16-member task force to determine next steps by December

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – Public schools across Rhode Island will need more than $2 billion in repairs or upgrades in the coming years, according to a study released Wednesday by Gov. Gina Raimondo...

So what types of problems do schools have and how will they be addressed? Here’s an overview. (You can read the consultants’ full report here and their recommendations here.)