NEWS

Although approved by voters, council holds keys to funds for 2 high schools

By JOHN HOWELL
Posted 2/8/23

Here are the bullet points:

In November Warwick voters approved $350 million to build two new high schools.

Warwick school officials are anxious to get started.

City council members are …

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NEWS

Although approved by voters, council holds keys to funds for 2 high schools

Posted

Here are the bullet points:

  • In November Warwick voters approved $350 million to build two new high schools.
  • Warwick school officials are anxious to get started.
  • City council members are hesitant to give the project a green light. They, as well as the mayor, who officially  has no say, question if the schools can be built for the money.
  • The Rhode Island Department of Education says unless construction starts by December 2023, the city will lose 52.5 % in reimbursement funding. The schools are to be completed by June 30, 2027.

There’s not a lot of time to design the schools, advertise for bids, award a contract and start digging. In fact, the longer the council postpones addressing the issue the more difficult it promises to become to move forward.

Mayor Frank Picozzi is looking for some breathing time, time to feel that this can be done, yet he understands where the School Committee is coming from. “The School Department wants it as fast as possible,” he said last week. He’s not alone.

After celebrating voter approval of the bond, the School Administration and Committee hoped to come before the council immediately following the committee and council inauguration in January. Well before then and going back to last summer there were questions because of inflation and supply lines whether the schools couldn’t be built for the $350 million. In addition, concerns were raised that the cost of repaying the bond would break the backs of taxpayers. Suggestions were made to build a single school; to build one school before taking on the second and to postpone the project until the city had a firmer grasp of long range and tax impacts.

Dramatically altering the plan for two schools is not feasible if the district is to adhere to RIDE approvals and be eligible for reimbursement.  Consistently,  Superintendent Lynn Dambruch has reasoned the city would be getting two schools for the cost of one.  

Ever since voter approval the mayor and council has sought reassurances the project is viable.  The School Committee and Saccoccio & Associates and Saam, architects for the schools, retained  an outside firm for a peer review of cost estimates and to come up with a priority list of what could be cut from plans – value engineering - if it came to that. While that review has not been publically released School Committee Chair David Testa said in an interview Monday he is “pleased with what they came up with.” He has no qualms the two schools can be built for $350 million.

Testa and the team from the school administration will meet Friday with the mayor, City Council President Steve McAllister and their team to review the status of the project and, as Testa hopes, establish a date for the full council to go over the plans and vote to release the first of the bond funds. Ideally, Testa said, would be for McAllister to set a meeting reserved for this issue, as was done when the council took up ratification of the firefighters’ contract.

“Friday’s meeting is a meeting the Mayor and I have been having with the school administration and Chairman Testa every two weeks since the start of the year. Communication is key and we all agree we must all be on the same page.  I know the school department would like to have the council release the bond as soon as possible,” McAllister said in a text response to questions.

Testa’s aim is for the council as well as the public to get to question the school administration and the architects and discuss plans and any suggested changes in the designs. He points out plans are still in the schematic stage and not until funding is released and designing begins will there be a clearer picture of “value engineering” options.  Also, he doesn’t expect to get into the nitty gritty of the projects such as the number of board feet and amount of steel to be used since the schematics are the big picture. Testa concedes it may be too much to hope the meeting could take place this month, but early March would be good.

“Our intention is to be as open and transparent as possible,” said Testa. “Essentially we’re saying we still think we can build the schools for $350 million.”

McAllister is tapping the breaks.

“I still have a number of questions and concerns about whether both schools can be built for $350 million. I have been talking and meeting with the Mayor and members of his administration, bond counsel, the council solicitor, members of the general assembly, RIDE and others to explore all options available to the council at this time.  This is a project that will affect generations here in Warwick.  We owe it to all the residents to take our time and to do our homework, to make sure we get the best results,” he said.

Is there enough time to meet deadlines set by RIDE?

In an email last week Victor Morente, RIDE spokesman, wrote, “The “clock” started when the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education approved their projects. The deadline to complete the projects is June 30, 2027. However, there are other critical deadlines that are forthcoming. In order to receive 52% reimbursement (rather than 35% reimbursement) the projects must commence by December 30, 2023, unless the General Assembly extends the date. To satisfy this requirement, the district would need a signed contract with a contractor before the end of the year. The bond can be issued at a later date, as interim financing mechanisms may be available.”

He goes on to write, “If the project would commence after the bonuses expire, it would require Warwick taxpayers to fund an additional $60 million of the project's costs (the 17.5% bonuses they would no longer qualify for).”

After talking with RIDE representatives, Testa is not stressed over the deadlines although he wants to get started as soon as possible. He said other districts have been able to obtain deadline extensions. 

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schools, bond

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