North Kingstown advisory committee backs revised school CIP; readies Sept. 15 RIDE submission

The North Kingstown Building Advisory Committee voted Aug. 15 to approve a revised capital-improvement plan (CIP) and forward it to the School Committee as the district prepares a Stage 2 submission to the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) on Sept. 15.

The revised plan groups work into three priority “buckets”: (1) high‑school roof replacement and related immediate fixes, (2) improvements at Davisville Middle School to achieve parity with the new Wickford Middle School, and (3) stabilization and targeted educational upgrades at elementary schools (primarily roof work, secure vestibules, accessible routes and new media centers). Building advisory members said the district’s goal is to submit a comprehensive list now and refine scope and alternates after professional cost estimates are returned.

Why it matters: RIDE’s Stage 2 process is the step that determines which project costs are eligible for state reimbursement. Committee members and project staff said submitting a complete, prioritized list gives the district the most flexibility after RIDE’s review. Ed Cifoni of DBVW, the district’s project consultant, said RIDE has encouraged districts to include as many items as possible in the Stage 2 ask because approved projects often can be scaled after award; he noted the state requires districts to spend at least 50% of approved work in practice.

What the committee approved and the vote: The committee adopted a motion to forward the revised CIP list to the School Committee for consideration; committee members voted in favor and the chair declared the motion passed. (The motion and second were entered on the record; the transcript did not capture the maker and seconder by name.) Earlier in the meeting the committee also approved the July 16 meeting minutes; that vote carried with two abstentions.

Key timelines and next steps discussed at the meeting - Sept. 15 — target date for the RIDE Stage 2 submission. - Sept. 8 — anticipated internal submission to the district for final review; Sept. 9 — presentation to the School Committee before the Sept. 15 RIDE filing. - Aug. 8 — design package to be delivered to the cost estimator. - Aug. 11 (week of) — anticipated start of destructive testing for building materials (asbestos) at Wickford Middle School. - Aug. 15 — commissioning‑agent proposals due in response to an RFP posted July 24; the committee was told staff will review and recommend an award after that date.

Project‑level updates presented to the committee - Wickford Middle School: Perkins Eastman and the district have rotated the building on the site to improve solar orientation and classroom glare, reduced curb cuts near Tower Hill Road, preserved the existing softball field where possible, and refined a bus/car loop to maintain separation of traffic flows. Perkins Eastman noted it will provide the cost‑estimator with detailed drawings on Aug. 8 to support a more exhaustive cost estimate. - Davisville Middle School (DMS): DBVW presented a larger, multi‑summer conceptual program for DMS that would add a new three‑stop elevator, relocate and upgrade science and technical spaces, renovate the media center and guidance suite, correct fire‑separation issues by adding a fire‑suppression system, and remove excess lockers to improve circulation. Consultants said many of those changes are desirable for parity with Wickford but that the final scope will depend on cost estimates and district priorities. - Elementary schools: The consulting team recommended shifting away from large open‑plan classroom conversions at Stony Lane, Quineset and Fishing Cove in favor of prioritizing roofs, secure vestibules, accessible site routes and new media centers. Consultants said large conversions would touch substantial portions of those buildings and could be less equitable across the district; they also flagged energy‑efficiency and insulated‑wall issues that would increase cost and complexity.

Environmental and site work Consultants confirmed that PAR (the environmental subconsultant) is under contract to perform Phase 2 environmental site assessment (ESA) work where Phase 1 identified recognized environmental concerns; the Phase 2 scope will include bore/probe locations informed by the site plan and archaeology concerns. The committee was told archaeological probes will be coordinated so the team can minimize disturbance in areas where artifacts were previously identified.

Budget and procurement notes Per the update, Perkins Eastman, DBVW and Vortex design contracts were approved by the School Committee on July 31 and are at various stages of administrative execution; the Vortex contract was submitted to the town clerk for processing. Staff said the preliminary list of projects likely exceeds the district’s referenced bond amount (discussed at the meeting as roughly $51 million) and that the final scope will be pared to fit available funding after the professional cost estimate is returned.

Quotes from presenters and officials "For those who I haven't met yet, my name is Erica Schechter. I'm a project manager with Peregrine Group," Erica Schechter said as she opened the owner's project manager update. Ed Cifoni, the DBVW representative, said the district should think of the Stage 2 submission as a prioritized list rather than a fixed, final plan: "If it gets approved, you are only required to spend 50% of it," he said, describing the practical flexibility RIDE allows in later stages.

Committee process and follow‑up Committee members directed staff and the consultants to continue working with the district and RIDE on the Stage 2 submission and to return with the cost estimate and a prioritized list of alternates. The building advisory committee scheduled a working/planning meeting for Aug. 15 at 8 a.m. and intends to present the advisory recommendation to the School Committee at its Aug. 19 meeting so School Committee members have time to review the materials before the Sept. 9 meeting that precedes the RIDE filing.

What the vote does not do The advisory committee vote approves a recommended, prioritized submission package for the School Committee to consider; it does not authorize final construction contracts, change orders or town funding. Consultants and staff repeatedly noted that many items on the list are alternates or conditional on available funding, and that project phasing and scope allocation will be adjusted after formal cost estimates and further School Committee deliberation.

Looking ahead Staff and consultants said they will return with the professional cost estimate and a refined, prioritized scope for the committee’s review. The committee also expects to finalize selection of a commissioning agent and to start contractor‑level preconstruction work once Stage 2 submissions and approvals progress.