Coventry committee hears progress reports on high school gym, science labs, sewer hookup and Western well

Coventry School Building Committee members heard detailed progress updates on multiple bond-funded projects at Coventry High School and related infrastructure on [date not specified], including gym demolition work, science-lab renovations, a planned sewer hookup and a potential EPA-funded Western well grant.

The status report came as the committee prepares summer construction schedules and finalizes bids and permits tied to the town’s $25,000,000 bond. Committee members emphasized tight timelines for work that must be completed before the school year begins and noted rising costs have strained original budgets.

Don Coward, speaking for the committee’s project leads, said the gym demolition is under way and that district staff removed salvageable equipment before the demo team began work. “Our Coventry staff went in and took down all the banners, all the padding, our cameras, anything that was valuable that we wanted out of the gym,” Coward said. Committee members reported the contractor removed bleachers and began lifting the floor; the next phase will include work on rafters, painting and installation of new flooring and bleachers.

The gym and several other projects are funded in part through an Equity Initiative grant. “A big portion, about 2 thirds of that, is being paid for by the state, and then we're paying the difference through our bond,” Coward said. The committee said the district will not have debt payments tied to the bond portion until after the bond sale.

Science labs: cabinetry, fume hoods and gas lines

Committee members said the equity grant also supports science-lab work at the high school. The committee reported replacement of cabinetry and casework in about 14 science rooms; electrical and plumbing fixtures will be reconnected but the committee said they will not yet activate gas lines because of concerns about the condition of existing gas piping.

The committee discussed replacing nonfunctional fume hoods and noted that some rooms currently share a single hood between two adjoining spaces; those hoods and their fans will be replaced as part of the lab upgrades. Russell (Russ) Hill (identified in meeting roll call) said the old systems are in poor condition and that contractors will install new fans and casework to vent fumes properly. The committee said work on hoods also addresses items raised by the fire marshal and will reduce a number of outstanding fire-safety items.

Sprinkler and fire-suppression work will require a separate, larger procurement, the committee said; members expect work on the fire-suppression system could take about a year and may require second-shift schedules once construction proceeds during the school year.

Sewer hookup and site pretreatment

Committee members said the high school’s connection to municipal sewer requires pretreatment upgrades. The committee reported a meeting planned with West Warwick officials and an engineer to confirm pretreatment requirements; grease traps and other equipment identified by the receiving system will be installed prior to connection. “The bid is going out next week. We're hoping for it to come in around 4.4, 4 point 5,” Don Coward said about the sewer-related bid estimate. The committee said those costs would be covered with a combination of local resources and school bond funds but that final obligation depends on actual bids.

Tank pumping, chemical disposal and impact fees

The committee reported discovery and planned service for an outdoor chemical tank tied to chemistry labs; the district hired Sabre (a vendor) to pump and neutralize the tank and to quote disposal of expired chemicals stored in lab spaces. Committee members said the tank pumping and some lab-related pre-work will be paid from available impact-fee funds; the committee stated an impact-fee line of approximately $22,000 would be used to begin required pretreatment work (grease traps, lint traps and similar items) ahead of the larger procurement.

Western well and EPA funding

Committee members described work to secure an EPA grant administered through the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank for a “Western Well” project. The group said the Infrastructure Bank would disburse EPA funds directly to vendors if the grant is approved; the committee said the EPA funding, if awarded, could cover the roughly $600,000–$700,000 budgeted for the well project.

Budget pressures and project priorities

Members noted that project cost estimates have risen since the bond was written in 2023 and said some items may be deferred or repackaged to preserve funds for high-priority safety and infrastructure work. The committee discussed re-bundling projects to preserve state incentive reimbursements on safety-related work, and reiterated that projects that are “have to haves” (for building function or code compliance) will take precedence over cosmetic upgrades.

Meetings, procurement and next steps

The committee agreed to use impact fees to pre-pay small items needed for the sewer connection and to move forward with procurement activity this summer so work can proceed on schedule. Committee members said they will return with bid results and contract recommendations as bids are received.

Ending

Committee members said they will provide additional updates at future meetings and aim to hold public outreach events and share visual project updates on the district website and through student media when significant milestones are reached.