Committee approves Chartwells contract and Oro Avenue courtyard work; district outlines facility repairs

The East Providence School Committee voted to approve multiple facilities-related contracts and heard updates on ongoing repairs and construction across the district.

Members moved and approved the Chartwells food-service contract for the 2024–2025 year, noting the district participates through the state bid process. Director of Finance said the district’s format is driven by the state contract and explained that school-lunch operations are intended to be self-sustaining. Committee members asked about portion sizes and whether Chartwells had installed additional refrigeration; staff replied that new walk-in units and auxiliary refrigerators were purchased with school-lunch funds during a temporary unit outage.

The committee also approved a Central Nurseries contract for the Oro Avenue courtyard renovation funded by a $100,000 Learning Inside Out grant. Director Murphy said work was slated to begin the following week and praised Central Nurseries’ ongoing collaboration with staff at Oro Avenue. The contract includes a liquidated-damages clause of $25 per day for unexcused delays, which staff said would be adjusted per project value.

On facilities updates, the district reported a high-school roof repair scheduled to begin June 17 and plans to explore toilet and seating upgrades for athletic fields. The Department of Environmental Management granted full approval of the remediation plan for contaminated soil at Martin Middle, clearing foundation work for the summer. Boiler replacement work at select schools was scheduled across July after initial demolition in mid-June.

Committee members asked for drawings, budget details and maintenance plans tied to new installations, and the superintendent and finance director agreed to send invoices and rebate documentation to committee members for review by email.