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Chariho officials outline three elementary-school plans; unified campus would be most efficient but raises site and tax concerns
Summary
SLAM Collaborative and Colliers presented three Stage 2 conceptual options for Chariho elementary schools — a unified regional school, extensive renovations/additions, or three new schools — with construction-only cost ranges shown and community meetings scheduled in late Sept./early Oct. Residents raised questions about location, land acquisition, reimbursement and tax impacts.
SLAM Collaborative and Colliers presented three conceptual elementary-school options to the Chariho Regional School Committee on Sept. 23, framing the work as a Stage 2 facilities study required by the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE).
Mark Rhodes, SLAM’s lead designer, said the study is “conceptual in nature” and that Stage 2 provides the detailed analysis RIDE requires to determine reimbursement eligibility. He said prior reports — the 2017 Jacobs assessment and a Bureau Veritas overview — are high-level and do not replace the district’s Stage 2 work.
The three options were: a unified regional elementary on a single new site (estimated construction costs in today’s dollars roughly $87–$90 million); renovating existing schools with additions (roughly $89–$98.1 million); and building three new elementary schools (the most expensive option). Rhodes emphasized that the…
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