PROVIDENCE – Both elementary schools in Glocester are on track for some needed repairs following approval of the projects by the Rhode Island Council on Elementary and Secondary Education.
The state council authorized funding of $1,540,735 for a project including repairs to roofs, security, fire alarms, emergency lighting, outdoor classrooms, libraries and well-being rooms totaling $4 million. The work at Fogarty Memorial and West Glocester Elementary Schools includes “health and safety scopes,” according to a release on the approvals from the Rhode Island Department of Education. which notes the state share will cover 38.5 percent of the work.
The funds are among $330 million approved for projects at 13 schools across the state, including roughly $165 million for two schools to be built in Central Falls.
“To best prepare our students for their futures, we must take bold action and transform our public education infrastructure from the ground up,” said Gov. Dan McKee in a release on the funding approved Wednesday, Dec. 20. “We look forward to visiting these new and renovated schools and seeing the positive impact they have on our school communities.”
“For far too long, poorly designed and maintained facilities have hindered student learning,” said Council Chairwoman Patti DiCenso. “The council is proud to approve these additional projects that will advance our mission of providing an excellent education to all students, regardless of their zip code.”
Built in 1991, West Glocester Elementary serves students in grades KG-5 in a 54,000-square-foot facility on Reynolds Road. According to a facility condition assessment from 2017, the school had a replacement cost of $18,900,000 at the time.
Located on Snake Hill Road in North Scituate, Fogarty Memorial was built in 1975 and features 29 instructional spaces for students in grades KG-5. The estimated replacement cost for the facility was $16,800,000 in 2017.
The two Glocester schools serve a combined 577 students, according to a presentation to the council from RIDE.
“Today’s approval by the council sends a clear message to our students, educators, and families that Rhode Island listens and is fully committed to rebuilding our education system from the ground up,” said state Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green. “We are grateful to our local education agencies for their urgency, and innovation in creating state-of-the-art, sustainable learning environments, some of which our students are already learning in today. Together, we have embarked on a journey that will greatly benefit generations of students, educators, families, and communities across Rhode Island.”
