Hard work and close attention to the bottom line have fueled the latest designs for the new middle-high school and related educational upgrades in #MiddletownRI. Those involved speak with excitement about what's next with the innovative effort.
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CONTACT: Matt Sheley at (401) 842-6543 or msheley@middletownri.com
DESIGN FOR NEW SCHOOL, RELATED WORK INSPIRES, EXCITES
MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (AUGUST 21, 2024) – Designs for the new middle-high school and related renovations are taking shape.
At a meeting Wednesday night in the Oliphant administration building, the School Building Committee gave approval to submit the design development package to the state Department of Education (RIDE) School Building Authority. This included several exciting recommended features to the 200,000-square-foot structure just north of the existing Gaudet Middle School.
One of the hubs of the new building is a multipurpose auditorium intended to serve as a regular showcase of education and learning. This is unlike the static auditorium spaces in schools of the past with fixed seats used only on special occasions.
“Personally, I really like the direction of the new school and all the improvements,” Superintendent William Niemeyer said. “They’re going to make our facilities so much better than what we offer right now and help elevate our district even more. I hear a lot of excitement building around this project and how much of a positive impact it’s going to have for every student across every grade level.”
As for the multi-use auditorium specifically, Niemeyer said he believed there were countless advantages over a “traditional” fixed space.
“If you look at what most schools are doing, this is the kind of auditorium they have,” Niemeyer said. “One minute, we could have a band concert and the next there’s a dance performance and then an art show and the turnaround is minutes, not days. We talk about making our classroom spaces flexible and there’s no reason that shouldn’t be true here with our auditorium too.”
RIDE has pledged to pay for 55 percent of the entire $190 million project. That means local taxpayers will pay 45 cents on the dollar for a new state-of-the-art school, related renovations and an overhaul of the entire school district.
From Day 1, those involved have said the new school and related work will be “on time and on budget” while delivering educational improvements the district needs — and deserves.
Groundbreaking for the new school is projected in the late spring of 2025, with opening in time for the first day of school in the fall of 2027.
Another move Wednesday was to approve plans to perform repairs and upgrades to the existing high school’s heating and air conditioning system. By taking this course, the town saves $6 million in overall project costs and reuses the HVAC system in the Valley Road building, which recently underwent improvements. Originally, the plan was to replace the entire system for an estimated $8 million price tag.
From here, the goal is to have the 60 percent construction documents ready in the first part of 2025. At that point, there will be another detailed review of the proposal by all the stakeholders to make sure everything is in order.
“One thing I think it’s important for people to know is that the School Building Committee and our consulting team have spent considerable time making sure our spaces are designed efficiently and provide the best schools possible for the most reasonable prices,” Town Administrator Shawn J. Brown said.
“For example, look at what we’re doing with the HVAC system at the (existing) high school building. The original idea was to replace everything, but now we’re reusing a lot of what’s already there because we’re taking advantage of some of the recent improvements to that building and saving money along the way.”
School Building Committee members said they liked the synergy growing between their volunteer board, the project architects HMFH Architects, owner’s project managers Colliers Project Leaders and construction managers Gilbane Building Co. and The Bentley Companies.
Gilbane of Providence is handling work on the new middle-high school at the former Starlight Drive-In property, with Bentley of Warwick overseeing renovations of Middletown High and Forest Avenue School.
Under state approved plans, the high school building will be used for Grades 2-5, Central School Administration, Facilities and Transportation offices. Forest Avenue School will be transformed into a lower elementary school, with Aquidneck School planned for a community center funded outside of the bonds covering the cost of the project.
Members of the volunteer school building board have been meeting at least bi-weekly since voters approved in November 2023, honing every aspect of the effort.
As part of the plan, a new middle-high school will be constructed on the former Starlight Drive-In property at 1225 Aquidneck Ave. While in the same building, the Grades 6-8 and Grades 9-12 populations will be separate and not interact during the school day.
By being in the same facility, project proponents have said numerous educational and financial efficiencies will be created. Those include in the classroom, where it will be easier for teachers and staff to work across grades and schools.
Input from educators, staff, parents and students has been a critical from the beginning of the effort. Before the project even went to voters, Rhode Island’s premier educational consultant — Manuel Cordero — worked to make sure the design of the new building lined up with the needs of all Middletown students, teachers and beyond.
In addition to boosting the level of education provided in the Middletown schools, proponents have said the work should be a springboard for the entire community.
This includes making Middletown an even more attractive place to do business and boosting real estate values. They’ve also said it’s important to offer new opportunities for local students as well as those here short-term with Naval Station Newport, the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Each of those entities has announced plans to maintain or grow their presence on Aquidneck Island in coming years.
“From everything I’ve seen, it’s really coming together,” Brown added, a member of the School Building Committee. “It’s really exciting and energizing to be involved with such an important project that will have an amazing positive impact not only on our schools, but the entire community. And as requested by the Town Council, we remain completely on time and on budget.”
Document Link: https://mdl.town/NYCU-Design