Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Facilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
North Providence committee approves submission to RIDE for high school window and envelope upgrades
Summary
The North Providence School Committee voted to submit plans to the Rhode Island Department of Education seeking 80% reimbursement for building-envelope work at North Providence High School, prioritizing replacement of aging windows and repairs to leaking skylights.
The North Providence School Committee on a unanimous voice vote approved a submission to the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) to seek reimbursement for a high school building-envelope project that will prioritize replacement of original windows and address leaking skylights.
Superintendent Goho and Philip Conte, an architect with Studio Jade, told the committee the work is intended to improve energy efficiency, stop water infiltration and protect recent investments in the facility. "These windows will be insulated low e. It will have an operable component," Conte said, describing planned insulated, operable units for the oldest portion of the building. Conte also said the gymnasium windows "are far beyond their useful life" and will be prioritized as budget allows.
Superintendent Goho told the committee the existing windows on the original side of the school were installed about 35 years ago and are no longer serviceable. "Many of them, they're not functioning. They don't open. They don't close. But the important thing is that we can't get parts," he said, adding that some skylights have been covered with plastic roofing for more than a decade because they leak.
Committee members asked procedural questions about timing and funding. The administration said the submission is a procedural step required to secure the RIDE reimbursement at an 80% rate if the project proceeds. Phil Conte said the team plans to continue design, bidding and preconstruction work through fall and winter so construction can start in spring and finish over the summer, if funding is available.
The motion to approve the submission was made and seconded; the chair called for the vote and the motion carried.
The committee did not adopt final construction contracts at the meeting; members approved only the submission to RIDE that preserves the district's ability to seek the stated reimbursement rate.
Looking ahead, district staff said they plan to use available contingency funds and bond-authorized allocations to expand work at the high school where feasible. The administration also flagged that additional design and procurement steps remain before construction contracts are awarded.
