Work on Middletown Middle High School continues to make steady progress -- and will cost the median homeowner in #MiddletownRI about $1.40 a day including all costs, far less than the $2 projected leading into the November 2023 special election.
HITTING THE MARK
MIDDLETOWN, RI (MARCH 23, 2026) – Construction on Middletown Middle High School continues its steady march towards the finish line.
In every report to the Town Council and School Committee, project managers Colliers have said everything remains squarely “on time and on budget.”
This despite a less than ideal winter, which hasn’t slowed things down — minus Winter Storm Hernando, which caused a few headaches.
“We’re really pleased with the progress on the project,” School Building Committee Chairman Ed Brady said. “Colliers and (architects) HMFH/DBVW have been very responsive and (builders) Gilbane have delivered each step of the way. I know everyone is proud of what we’ve accomplished here.”
After a recent tour of the worksite, Town Administrator Shawn J. Brown said it was hard not to be impressed.
“Like any big project, there’s been some skepticism about what we’ll be able to accomplish,” Brown said. “We’ve hit every benchmark and met every deadline, which is something we want to note given the complexity of this effort and the number of moving parts.”
In November 2023, voters approved a sweeping overhaul to the entire school district during a special election.
As part of that proposal, a new 211,000-square-foot middle high school is being built on the former Starlight Drive-In property just north of the existing Gaudet Middle School.
There, sixth through eighth graders will go to classes in one part of the building, with ninth through twelfth graders in the other wing.
Around the corner, the existing Middletown High School is undergoing renovations for the new Middletown Valley Elementary School for grades two through five as well as district administration and maintenance offices. To learn more, visit https://mdl.town/NYCU-VES online.
Both buildings are slated to open in time for the start of the 2027-2028 school year in late August 2027 or early September 2027.
Earlier this month, the Town Council engaged an architect to prepare designs and budget estimates for wide-ranging work at Forest Avenue School, making that building the entryway for pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and first grade students coming into the district. For more, go to https://mdl.town/NYCU-FAS-Improve online.
Importantly, the state Department of Education has pledged to reimburse the town 55 cents on every dollar spent on the project.
The way the debt schedule is planned, there will be no spike in local tax bills in Fiscal 2027 — or beyond — as a result of the addition of the new middle high school, conversion of the existing high school to Valley Elementary and the updating Forest Avenue School to serve as our entryway school.
Rather, because of sound financial planning and good management, town officials said the price for the project is now built into the tax rate.
Based on current figures, the complete cost for the new schools and all the other work is projected at $1.40 per day in Fiscal 2027 for a median residential property owner with a home valued at $634,150 — or $511 a year. That’s well less than the $2 a day — or a cup of coffee — the town advertised leading up to the vote on the new school and related work.
For regular project updates, visit the School Building Committee’s website at https://mdl.town/SBC online.
“We’ve put a lot of time and energy into this project and have made a lot of promises along the way,” Brown said. “From Day 1, we’ve laid out what we were going to do and we’ve delivered on absolutely everything we said we were going to do — and more. This project will help bring our schools up to the standard they should be and everyone benefits — the students, our educators, our community.”
Document Link: https://mdl.town/NYCU-Mark
About Middletown
The Town of Middletown is a vibrant municipality located on Aquidneck Island, known for its scenic beauty, historic landmarks, diverse economy and strong sense of community. For more information about all we have to offer, visit MiddletownRI.gov online.
Media Contact
Matt Sheley
Public Affairs Officer
401-842-6543
msheley@middletownri.gov