Subcommittee report sets St. John d'Arc target reopening Sept. 2026; Pawtucket roof replacement to go to bid

A joint school–city facilities subcommittee reported progress on multiple capital projects and on a proposal to consolidate facilities operations during a July 16 school committee meeting.

The subcommittee report said the target date to open the St. John d'Arc School is September 2026, with elevators expected to be operational in early 2027; the contract for the St. John d'Arc project is expected to be awarded after the design phase, which subcommittee members said is expected to conclude in August. The subcommittee also reported that designs for Pawtucket Memorial School’s roof replacement are complete and the project will be sent to bid; the roof work is funded by a state grant and intends to address longstanding mold issues.

Committee members discussed a proposal to join the school facilities department under the city’s facilities department to improve efficiency and accountability. While members agreed on the need to get repairs done, some expressed caution and asked for more details about how responsibilities, staffing and maintenance control would change before they would consider relinquishing direct control over school maintenance staff.

The committee voted to authorize the city manager and the superintendent to begin discussions on the potential facilities consolidation; no final decision to shift maintenance control was made at the meeting. Subcommittee members described the process as a development of details to be returned to the committee for further consideration.