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Superintendent: stage 1 approved; architect bids next step for elementary building study
Summary
The superintendent said the district’s stage 1 application for elementary planning was approved and that architect bids are under review ahead of a July recommendation; the RIDE facility report itself remains with the state contractor.
Families and town leaders seeking an update on the elementary building study heard from Superintendent Gina Picard on June 17 that the district’s stage 1 application — the facility-review phase of the Rhode Island school-construction process — had been approved in May and that the district is moving to select an architect.
Anne Marie Luzon of Charlestown asked the committee for a public update on the status of a building study for Ashaway, Richmond and Charlestown elementary schools, saying community trust depends on transparent progress reporting. “If a study has been completed, the findings should be shared. If the process hasn't begun, I hope you will explain why,” Luzon said.
Picard told the committee the state's contractor (identified in meeting remarks as Bureau Veritas) still holds its report; the district received approval for stage 1 and has advanced a request for qualifications (RFQ) for an architect. Two firms responded to the RFQ; the necessity-for-school-construction committee will review the bids using a rubric from the RFQ and anticipates making a recommendation to the school committee for the July meeting. Once an architect is selected the district will begin stage 2 work, which is due to the Rhode Island Department of Education by Feb. 15, 2026.
Picard said the district will provide monthly updates to the public and publish progress in the district newsletter leading up to the stage 2 deadline. Committee members and residents pressed for timely public reporting and stressed the urgency because prior bond proposals failed and elementary facilities have ongoing maintenance needs.
The superintendent also said that the committee’s necessity-for-school-construction subcommittee is meeting to review architect bids and will bring a recommendation back to the full committee; the full subcommittee roster and its charge were read at the meeting.
No formal vote was taken; the building-study timeline and architect selection process will continue over the summer.
