Smithfield School Committee members voted Aug. 28 to approve the recommendation from the district's School Building Committee for a targeted stage 2 construction package and asked staff to explore chairlift options for accessibility.

The committee's action endorses a prioritized package that centers on toilet-room renovations across buildings, upgrades to the high school science-wing roof, fire-alarm panel work, a range of mechanical and safety items and an update to a high-school ISE (life skills) room. The package as recommended carries an estimated total project value the presenters showed at about $6.9 million, with roughly $5.3 million in hard costs; the district earlier set a targeted five-year capital spending figure of $4.3 million.

The recommendation came after Collier consultant Patrick Froler reviewed hard-cost estimates provided by the district's estimator and explained assumptions and exclusions, including that design fees and soft costs were not included in the estimator's hard-cost line items. Froler specifically noted that the anticipated fire-alarm replacement cost was much lower than earlier figures, saying the updated estimate "came in at $31,000" after the consultant found the district would not need to replace all devices when moving from a proprietary to a nonproprietary system.

Committee members discussed individual items at length. The bathroom program covers seven toilet-room projects clustered to seek economies of scale; Froler said those hard-costs plus a 20 percent soft-cost allowance produce total budget line items such as $3.6 million for toilet-room work and $1.0 million for a lecture-hall renovation. The high-school roof was estimated at $1.7 million for replacement of the remaining science-wing roof area; presenters recommended the district consider phasing that roof work if necessary.

Accessibility and vertical circulation drew sustained debate. The building committee considered modifying existing elevators but concluded internal modifications would be disruptive and costly; the committee recommended investigating external CMU shaft elevators and, as a lower-cost alternative where code permits, chairlifts. Committee members asked staff to obtain order-of-magnitude quotes for chairlifts; presenters said such quotes typically range broadly and would initially be an "order of magnitude" estimate rather than a firm bid.

Funding and sequencing were central to the discussion. Presenters said the district anticipates receiving state reimbursements under the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) school construction program (the district's current working assumption is a 35 percent base reimbursement, with the potential for permanent bonus points such as an additional 5 percent for health-and-safety work). Members were reminded that the district operates from an annual capital allotment from the town and that reimbursement flows back into subsequent years' capital funds; presenters also noted the estimates include escalation tied to hypothetical project start dates (an allowance applied per year projects are delayed).

After discussion, a motion to "approve the recommendation presented by the building committee with the addition of exploring the chairlift" was made, seconded and approved by voice vote. Committee Chair (name not stated) announced, "The ayes have it." The motion did not record a roll-call tally in the meeting transcript and no mover/second names were captured on the record.

The committee's approval is a stage 2 endorsement to move the package forward in the RIDE funding process and to the town for future capital appropriations; it is not an authorization to obligate final contract dollars. Presenters and committee members noted sequencing, escalation and actual town capital allocations will affect which projects are executed in which years and the district indicated it would reprioritize projects within the five-year plan as needed.