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RIDE gives North Kingstown extra time to fix Stage 2 submission; committee approves DBVW architects cost proposal
Summary
The Rhode Island Department of Education told North Kingstown it may refine and resubmit its Stage 2 school construction application by Sept. 15 after finding discrepancies in cost estimates; the School Committee approved a $4.01 million cost proposal from DBVW Architects for the district's capital projects.
Rhode Island education officials notified North Kingstown on June 3 that the district may revise and resubmit its Stage 2 capital-improvement application by Sept. 15 after the School Building Authority and a third-party cost estimator found discrepancies in the May submission.
The RIDE letter said the district’s May Stage 2 cost estimate showed edits that “appear to have been edited without the knowledge or approval of the third party cost estimator” and that many listed costs “do not align with the schematic design documentation submitted.” The letter encouraged the district and its consultant team to collaborate closely with SBA staff and noted that the Woodward Middle School design team had identified about $8 million in additional savings in three weeks.
The committee discussed onboarding new consultants and working closely with the state ahead of the September resubmission. Superintendent Dr. Duda said the district is in the process of retaining new vendors and that the School Building Authority confirmed the district remains eligible for applicable reimbursements and that work done during the resubmission period should be reimbursable if approved.
Separately, the committee voted to approve the administration’s recommendation to accept a cost proposal from DBVW Architects for architectural and engineering services related to the district’s capital improvement projects. The administration presented DBVW’s proposal at $4,010,375; the memo said the district’s owner’s project manager reviewed the cost and found it at the lower end of industry standards and that RIDE confirmed the fee appears within industry norms. The fee will be funded from the 2024 school bond appropriation.
Committee members said they expect an AIA contract to be drafted by the district attorney and presented at a future meeting for formal approval.
What’s next: The district will transmit documents and prior reviews to its new consultant team and coordinate weekly check‑ins with the SBA this summer to refine schematics and cost estimates prior to the Sept. 15 resubmission deadline.
