NEWS

Gas leak delays state vote on new high schools

Posted 5/11/22

By ALEX MALM

When the Warwick School Department presented their plan last year to renovate Pilgrim and Toll Gate High Schools the Rhode Island Department of Education rejected it.

Now the …

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NEWS

Gas leak delays state vote on new high schools

Posted

By ALEX MALM


When the Warwick School Department presented their plan last year to renovate Pilgrim and Toll Gate High Schools the Rhode Island Department of Education rejected it.

Now the school district is one step closer to putting a bond measure on the ballot in November to build two new high schools after receiving preliminary stage 2 approval from RIDE.

But there was a hiccup.

Steve Gothberg, Director of Capital and Construction Projects told the School Committee that the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education, was expected to take a vote on Tuesday night to give final approval for the application. However, Gothberg received a text letting him know that the vote couldn’t be held because of a gas leak in the building where the council was meeting.

Nonetheless,  Gothberg had some positive news regarding the project Tuesday.

One of the highlights includes that RIDE increased the proposed eligible construction cost reimbursement by nearly $15 million.

Originally the school district was looking at  $300 million eligible for reimbursement. That has been elevated to $314.5 million.

For example if RIDE reimburses the school district at 50 percent then they would give the district 50 percent based on the $314.5 million.

Gothberg also told the committee that the department is hopeful to receive about $14.5 million in “pay as you go funding.” He said if they receive that then they would only need to bond for about $335 million.

“We don’t have to ask for the total of $350 million for the bond,” said Gothberg.

Additionally Gothberg said that if the statewide bond passes in November the district would receive an additional $9.5 million in “pay as you go funding,” which could reduce the bond ask even further.

Gothberg said that essentially the district would save the interest associated with the funds they would receive from the pay as you go funding.

“It would be quite the savings in interest,” said Gothberg.

Gothberg said that currently the maximum amount the district can receive from RIDE for reimbursements is 50 percent. He said that they may be able to get an additional 2.5 percent.

“When the state commissioned Jacobs Engineering to evaluate all school buildings they gave each building a Facilities Condition Index, FCI score, anything 65 or over would receive an additional 5 percent  reimbursement bonus to be replaced,” said Gothberg. “ We expect that Pilgrim’s score will raise from 56 to 65 or above and be eligible for that 5 percent bonus. As Warwick is capped at 52 1/2  percent  we would only gain the 2 1/2 percent  as we are already eligible for 3 5 percent  bonuses bringing us to 50 percent.” 

Gothberg said that the extra 2.5 percent would equal around $7.8 million.

If the school district receives final approval from RIDE they would then go to the City Council that will need to vote on a resolution to the General Assembly to place the $350 million bond referendum on the November ballot. 

gas leak, vote on high schools

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