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School committee approves RIDE memorandum and hears construction update for Mount Hope High School
Summary
The Bristol Warren School Committee approved a memorandum of agreement with the Rhode Island Department of Education and received a detailed construction update from PMA on Mount Hope High School, including budget-to-date, reimbursement figures, contingency exposure and schedule targets.
The Bristol Warren Regional School Committee on Monday approved a written memorandum of agreement with the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) that formalizes the district’s participation in the state school construction program for Mount Hope High School.
Nick Paul, the district’s owner’s project manager with PMA, told the committee the project remains “right on track,” reporting a bill-to-date of roughly $32.5 million and PAYGO reimbursements of about $14.5 million. Paul said $157 million in RIDE-eligible funds remains intact even after internal adjustments in how the district rolled Capital Improvement Program projects into the high-school scope to achieve savings. He said the team shifted delivery methods early in the process and bundled CIP items into the main bid to reduce overall cost.
Paul walked members through construction milestones and photos of on-site work, noting steel erection, recent slab placements and coordination of MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) systems. He said crews are targeting a January window for initial occupancy moves and reaffirmed longer-term phase targets including a Phase 1 completion date of May 28, 2027. He also flagged routine change orders and said several potential change orders (including audio-system work) are being tracked and will be submitted through the district’s technical-review process.
Committee members pressed for clarity on contingency numbers and the meaning of the owner-funded construction override cap. Paul said he would follow up with a written clarification; during discussion the group identified roughly a 20% current exposure on certain audio enhancements and noted that formal change orders will clarify final tallies.
On a motion to approve the district’s memorandum of agreement with RIDE — described by staff as the written confirmation of the previously negotiated $157M+ funding arrangement — the committee voted in favor. Members said they were approving what had been agreed to in concept and that the MOA simply puts those commitments into a final form.
The committee also heard that a topping-off ceremony is scheduled at the site later in the week, and staff said they will continue to provide detailed monthly financial updates and to close out earlier bond stages as invoices are processed.
