Construction of Johnston’s new elementary school is now roughly halfway complete, with the project remaining on budget and on time. The building is expected to open its doors to new students by the end of next summer, in time for the beginning of the 2026-27 school year.
Justin Bernard, senior project manager with Colliers Project Leaders, confirmed on Wednesday that the overall project had reached the halfway point. The guaranteed maximum cost of construction is set at slightly under $79 million. Including additional miscellaneous costs such as consulting fees, furniture and equipment, that number rises to about $94.6 million.
Josh Ferrer, project manager, estimated last week that the building’s exterior was about 80% finished. Ferrer, who works with construction company Gilbane, said that about a hundred construction workers are on site daily to complete the project, with that number sometimes rising to around 120 depending on the day’s work. With all of the bricks laid and most of the windows in place, workers last week had begun to install ceilings and paint interior walls.
Current progress indicates that the project may even be completed ahead of schedule and under budget, though both project managers were hesitant to confirm an earlier release date or lower cost. “We never like to count our eggs before they hatch,” Ferrer said. “But it is trending that way.”
The progress of the building’s construction has taken on a new significance in recent weeks as the district’s financial struggles have taken center stage. After a $5.4-million bailout from the town last month erased its fiscal year deficit, the Johnston School Department must now develop a plan to keep budget shortfalls from occurring.
Town officials are counting on Johnston Elementary to be the key to solving that equation, saving the department enough money to keep the district running without any more emergency transfers. The School Department also agreed to ensure that construction is completed on time as a condition of accepting the bailout money.
The hope is that by consolidating the district’s four existing elementary schools – Winsor Hill, Brown Avenue, Thornton and Barnes – into a single building, operating costs will be reduced. Between more efficient bus routes and lower costs for heating and electricity, Johnston Elementary’s savings are expected to fill the gap between the School Department’s expected revenue and expenditures.
Additionally, the building will bring much-needed upgrades for students and teachers. Bernard DiLullo, who wrapped up his final day as schools superintendent on Monday, told the SunRise last week that the new building will be “remarkably different than what the kids are used to.”
For example, DiLullo said, none of the existing elementary school buildings has a proper library; books are instead distributed to students on a rolling cart. In addition, only Winsor Hill has a proper gymnasium for physical education classes. Johnston Elementary will have a complete library and a full gymnasium.
“Now teachers can teach in a modern instructional facility,” DiLullo said. “It’s gonna be a beautiful location, too.”
Ferrer describes the new elementary school as “a real treat for the kids coming up.” Using a 3D visualization of the finished project, he highlighted some of the standout features planned for the building: a cafeteria with a full-fledged kitchen, a media center, a pottery kiln for art courses and a large display screen for every classroom.
The finished school is expected to serve up to 1,100 students, though exact enrollment numbers are impossible to predict at this stage. The building is designed to accommodate more students than initially expected to account for future growth.
Once complete, Johnston Elementary will serve students in grades one through four. Fifth-grade students will no longer attend elementary school in the district because of space limitations. They will instead matriculate to Nicholas A. Ferri Middle School, which is scheduled for renovations that will prepare the building to accommodate the extra students.
“I’m glad that we’re going to get rid of all these other elementary schools that are between 80 and 100 years old,” Mayor Joseph Polisena Jr. said when reached by phone on Tuesday. “But I'm not very happy that the elementary school does not include the fifth grade.” He said he was satisfied with the project overall.
What will happen to the four existing elementary school buildings once Johnston Elementary opens is uncertain – though tentative plans exist to convert the Winsor Hill building into an early .
Ferrer, who has worked with Gilbane for 18 years, said teamwork is the key to managing such a large project.
“It is a long, arduous process, but it is one that always gets finished,” he said.
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