[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6587125,"mediaKeyId","5681072-19f62adc6899fbc49648f8a0495d7b02","parentId",5681072,"title","Central Falls board approves schematic design submission for new PreK–8 dual-language school on existing high school site","audioSeconds",2984,"startMs",1441000,"endMs",4425000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681072-19f62adc6899fbc49648f8a0495d7b02&start=1441&end=4425","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681072-19f62adc6899fbc49648f8a0495d7b02/thumbnail_1441000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6587125/Central-Falls/School-Districts/Rhode-Island/Central-Falls-board-approves-schematic-design-submission-for-new-PreK8-dual-language-school-on-existing-high-school-site","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6587125-196886df1a6dfa8f858e2289427ecbd6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163028&Signature=TfGEexJUdxk-aBUwZxNbiodWdXqgor7SDEvR-eLQZiFU6Xxvqz1FtMxngMkyeM46NBDOAJAPRaneerP19paiitdP~yhz~FUufNGvuyKvkUDmYN1~wAXnkB7G-mPvfUb1LTkrsgTvoFrZF5YrjrxUPn1Wut26IZonS0RLE0zenHrkB1JNS6PDzlvR5vxur6t5M4k45~7EvlymrLzLkfQoH6I7vJozRYgD73rajuTTEEOn9wMyP22MArWDz0mXCiwlX0c6iFBZN2we-Jk3cAV468r5l4q9N5lvPE71ABMyKgdVa-a8lRwx0nPUZk9cMplp1IaiTXg8Hd4V6FBKN1WKhw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Central Falls School District","date","2025-08-26T23:49:52Z","article","Central Falls School Board of Trustees members voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a stage‑3 schematic design submission to the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) for a new PreK–8 dual‑language school to be built on the site of the current Central Falls High School.

The vote authorizes the district to submit schematic drawings and related materials that begin the formal RIDE review and approval process. Justin Tebow, a project lead for the design team, told trustees, “we're targeting submitting that, after anticipated approval tonight, to RIDE in the very near future.” The motion to submit was moved by Peralta Pagan and seconded by Hugo Figueroa; the roll‑call vote was recorded as five ayes and no dissenting votes.

The schematic package presented to the board shows a three‑story academic block (pre‑K–6 stacked across the first two floors and grades 7–8 on the third), plus a two‑story gym/dining/community wing that can be partitioned for after‑hours community use. Project managers said the building design keeps the urban street edge by placing the building at the corner of the existing site, includes outdoor play areas and a northern emergency access route, and provides pre‑K classrooms with dedicated exterior doors and an interior “smart clinic” space.

Designers described zoning of the building into two functional areas: Zone A (classrooms, special education, music, art, student services and administration) and Zone B (gymnasium, dining commons, and community‑facing spaces). A rooftop terrace and a third‑floor outdoor dining commons are in the current design but were listed among possible alternates if bids come in high.

Cost and budget: a third‑party estimator presented the schematic‑level cost estimate. The construction cost subtotal shown to the board was about $51.66 million (construction hard costs). Separately, abatement and demolition of the existing high school were estimated at roughly $3.916 million. With design contingency, contractor fees, soft costs, furniture/fixtures/equipment allowances, technology allowances, and other items, the team said the district’s target total project budget is approximately $61.7 million. The presentation explained a roughly $6 million shortfall from the construction estimate to the target budget and offered two ways to close that gap: a value‑engineering list (items that would be removed permanently) and a list of alternates (scope items that can be bid separately and added back if funds are available). The board was told alternates and VE items each represent roughly $3 million.

Sustainability and systems: the design team said the project is being tracked against the New England Collaborative for High Performance Schools (NE‑CHPS) rubric; at schematic design the package was targeting about 183 of 250 points (RIDE has minimum thresholds), with some credits marked “maybe” as the documents are refined. The team said the project will be “solar ready” (roof structure and conduit provided) but does not include installed solar panels in the base bid. The current HVAC approach and a potential switch from air‑source heat pumps to gas‑fired boilers were listed among value‑engineering choices with long‑term operational implications.

Operations and access: presenters confirmed there is no dedicated staff parking included in the current site plan because of site constraints. The building will be fully accessible (ramps/elevations provided at egress points) and include one elevator; the design team said elevators are intended for staff and students with accommodations. Exterior classroom doors for pre‑K/k classes will have door‑position monitoring devices; propped or held‑open doors would trigger an alert to central office. The plan includes multiple perimeter egress points, partitioning doors to allow after‑hours community use, and a guarded rooftop terrace (4‑foot guardrail in current documents).

Schedule and next steps: the team asked the board to approve the schematic submission so the district may file with RIDE; approval by RIDE allows the project to proceed to design development and subsequent drawings and cost updates. The board approved the schematic submission and asked the design team to continue refining alternates and VE items and to return with updated estimates at the next milestone.

The board and project team noted funding status: the city has issued bonding for the project alongside the high‑school bond and the presentation said the city bond was issued in July. Presenters said RIDE reimbursement practices apply to eligible portions of the project; the district will continue to refine the budget and value‑engineering list as designs and market conditions evolve.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Trustees Meeting 8/26/25","oneSentenceSummary","The Central Falls School Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve a stage‑3 schematic design submission to the Rhode Island Department of Education for a new PreK–8 dual‑language school to be built on the existing high school site.","taxTitle","Central Falls, School Districts, Rhode Island","taxId",40270,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6587116,"Central Falls recognizes two Teachers of the Year from dual‑language program",216,370000,586000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681072-19f62adc6899fbc49648f8a0495d7b02&start=370&end=586","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681072-19f62adc6899fbc49648f8a0495d7b02/thumbnail_370000.jpg","/articles/6587116/Central-Falls/School-Districts/Rhode-Island/Central-Falls-recognizes-two-Teachers-of-the-Year-from-duallanguage-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6587116-233d014baff91841ef0e300e5b20c4bd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163028&Signature=iMUPxyeDyDWIv1M-Y0tOyDtE2HIRvVTs0UHdirXVz92A7X6HZ8zFRYJa-~jeGi2JN9Jx-~HLOP41YozS0PGCM8MTXKUxPHHm-~RjoMHtKtZL8lqmkAKJWfvyled-5RRR8FWZObBKpd6MRMYOsQGuTcbKDzicZgdVA~-gKodFDbBb~VaEKYdSr0QuK1qu7lXWBriJNCPpjD5u9RsJltm6S7rXlTMvq6E3fuYYbj4flyqHQdVaNV9jswrCq3NnNIDbEdSuEuSfdVUdjjDucoUV-W8zpGlpHs8G0aE7j4f5~wZLzdpOAie~PF6L8ae5xorWwUPbfueuzPx7uILnJDDBSQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Central Falls School Board and superintendent formally recognized two teachers Tuesday as the district’s Teachers of the Year: Maria Pouliot and Cassandra Maralunda, who team‑teach in the district’s dual‑language fourth‑grade program at the school identified in the packet as “Bridal.”

The superintendent said both teachers embody district values and the district’s “habits of mind” framework for instruction and teacher leadership. Maria Pouliot, who was able to attend the meeting, told trustees, “I came in as a student knowing 0 English, and to see me, getting here today, because I'm teacher of the year, like, wow. What a testimony.” The superintendent said the pair were surprised earlier by their students and that families joined the celebration.

The district noted it sometimes selects a single teacher but chose two this year because the educators co‑lead a dual‑language classroom model. The board and superintendent praised the teachers’ leadership in growing the district’s multilingual programming and their contributions as alumni‑turned‑educators.

The recognition took place before the board’s substantive business and the superintendent encouraged the teachers to enjoy the new school year beginning the next day.","The Central Falls School District recognized Maria Pouliot and Cassandra Maralunda as Teachers of the Year for their work in the district's dual‑language fourth‑grade program; Pouliot spoke about returning to teach in the community she attended as a child.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6587119,"At a glance: Central Falls School Board approves FY26 budget, administrator contract templates, homeschool applications and other routine items",4794,871000,5665000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681072-19f62adc6899fbc49648f8a0495d7b02&start=871&end=5665","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681072-19f62adc6899fbc49648f8a0495d7b02/thumbnail_871000.jpg","/articles/6587119/Central-Falls/School-Districts/Rhode-Island/At-a-glance-Central-Falls-School-Board-approves-FY26-budget-administrator-contract-templates-homeschool-applications-and-other-routine-items","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6587119-0824520a7c55a5d7e0532ae0a9cb292c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163028&Signature=dndyyQzuWPi6Vc8pcStmYNWCuE3XRjwCYGUMtmGeCvP7Mof5n9zy1lPykx1Q5cZaxAHnKWaJ-dcJgDQ6fsFtof3qnrNYMK0HVa2I2KmjNij40Ro1pBHd7ggLBgNdLYwYRrgUQwqDWlLKAhr7ehQXGfBW4AI-Ac5LsS~pfUA4jS5SeKVhx4Dq7hbvO5zCTaYewbja2Vr1ZSp4IA95ySv3SyzCv5cWirulKZ75O0~n8xYB1gtYGpWZ~q7FZxLzGS2d7zkLNh3YGSY0L7JDRKyfaYO3iU1PnPWquoziQ7dfzS4OBSCdf59RA~vLCcVzwEuvA2S~eSHlEwssO-F9pfRfxg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Central Falls School Board of Trustees held a regular meeting Tuesday and took several formal actions, all recorded as unanimous votes unless otherwise noted.

Key votes at a glance

- Fiscal 2026 operating budget: The board voted to approve the FY26 budget as presented in the board packet. Motion by Hugo Figueroa; second by Peralta Pagan. Vote recorded as unanimous.

- Consent minutes (May 27): The board approved minutes from its May 27 meeting. Motion and second were made from the floor; the motion carried unanimously.

- Employment contract template (central office certified district leaders): The board approved an employment contract template for certified district leaders and authorized the superintendent to use it. Motion by Annette Martinez; second not specified on the public record; vote unanimous.

- Administrator contracts (new templates): Two additional administrator contract templates (certified school leaders and non‑certified district leaders) were approved as part of new business. Motion by Thomas Evans; second by Hugo Figueroa; vote unanimous.

- Homeschool applications: The board approved 14 homeschool applications (from nine families) presented this month. The superintendent recommended approval after meeting with the families; motion by Thomas Evans; second by Annette Martinez; vote unanimous.

- Executive session personnel recommendation: In executive session the board voted 5–0 to support the superintendent’s recommendation concerning the employment relationship with a non‑certified employee. The board subsequently voted to seal the executive‑session minutes.

What the board discussed briefly during these items

Board members asked questions about staffing and HR practice as templates were discussed. During the budget discussion, the interim finance lead (Hannah Rivers) was noted as handling the updated numbers after the prior CFO’s resignation. The superintendent and interim finance staff reminded trustees that federal funding previously withheld was in the process of being released and that MLL (multilingual learner) funding had increased into the $3 million range.

Votes recorded

Board members present for the meeting and recorded in roll call were Peralta Pagan, Annette Martinez, Hugo Figueroa, Thomas Evans and Andrew Branson. All recorded votes on the items listed above were unanimous (5–0). The board also acknowledged receipt of a resignation earlier the same day from a trustee, Felicia Lavasur; the superintendent said the resignation had been forwarded to the state Council on Elementary and Secondary Education.","At its Aug. 26 meeting the Central Falls School Board unanimously approved the fiscal 2026 operating budget, adopted template employment contracts for administrators, approved homeschool applications and took routine consent actions. An executive‑session personnel recommendation was also supported 5–0.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Central Falls board approves schematic design submission for new PreK–8 dual-language school on existing high school site

Central Falls recognizes two Teachers of the Year from dual‑language program

At a glance: Central Falls School Board approves FY26 budget, administrator contract templates, homeschool applications and other routine items