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Westerly subcommittee backs FY2026 capital requests and authorizes RIDE Stage 1 application
Summary
The Westerly Public Schools Building Subcommittee voted to recommend its FY2026 town capital requests — including vehicle replacements, a phased middle‑school roof project, playgrounds, HVAC upgrades, and site work — and authorized staff to prepare and submit a nonbinding Stage 1 application to RIDE to pursue state reimbursement (roughly 35–37%).
The Westerly Public Schools Building Subcommittee voted Sept. 11 to recommend a FY2026 set of town capital requests and to authorize the district to submit a Stage 1 application to the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) for potential reimbursement.
The subcommittee’s recommended request includes a year‑one lease payment of $120,057 associated with vehicle replacements, a two‑electric‑bus purchase package with a total cost listed at $955,000 (with $411,750 expected to be reimbursed by a Rhode Island DEM grant), a middle‑school roof replacement phase 1 estimated at $1.54 million, playground equipment and related escalation contingencies, a $200,000 placeholder for HVAC upgrades, a $250,000 placeholder for public‑address and network upgrades, and a placeholder for bus‑garage paving. Staff presented the estimated town request for FY2026 as $2,883,739 and the five‑year plan total as $27,567,000.
"If we are spending $3 million a year anyway, it makes sense to apply for the reimbursement," Presiding member Justin Hopkins said, summarizing the committee’s rationale for seeking RIDE funds. Staff told the committee that, if approved through RIDE’s multi‑stage review process, the district could recover roughly 35–37% of eligible capital costs. Staff also said Stage 1 is nonbinding and is used to get the district in line for funding; a Stage 2 submission (design, engineers, and cost refinement) would follow if Stage 1 is accepted.
Committee members asked for greater clarity on which schools would receive central air conditioning and emphasized equity in phasing. Staff repeatedly characterized the Stage 1 submission as preliminary: "It’s just getting in line for funding," a project staff member said, and significant details and final scopes will be defined in Stage 2.
The subcommittee voted to recommend the capital list to the full school committee and to authorize Western Public Schools to work with the school building committee, town OPM (Downs Construction), and design consultants to prepare and submit a RIDE Stage 1 application on the schedule indicated by the budget calendar.
Next steps include presenting the recommendation at the upcoming school committee meeting, completing the Stage 1 packet (staff said the district aims to submit by Dec. 15), and refining individual project scopes and budgets in the Stage 2 design phase. The school committee and town budget process will review final requests and any adjustments before the town manager incorporates them into the municipal budget.
