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Pawtucket committee authorizes $25,000 RIBEC grant for Slater Middle School library-to-CTE conversion
Summary
The committee authorized the superintendent to accept a $25,000 Rhode Island Health and Educational Building Corporation (RIBEC/Ryback) capital grant to transform the Slater Middle School library into a career and technical education exploration space; administrators said capital work will be supported by grant funds and other nonlocal sources and that no local district dollars are expected for the capital component.
The Pawtucket School Committee authorized the superintendent to execute a 2026 capital grant agreement from the Rhode Island Health and Educational Building Corporation (RIBEC), also referenced in the meeting as "Ryback," awarding $25,000 to support a redesign of the Slater Middle School library into a 21st-century career and technical education (CTE) exploration space.
Dr. Andrade and CFO Stephanie DeMello presented the grant opportunity and acknowledged that the award was competitive. They described the grant funds as seed capital for a project that will be braided with other grants and improvement dollars (Facilities Opportunity Initiative, CSI improvement funds and Title IV) and stated the capital piece is expected to be fully grant-funded, with administrators hopeful no local funds will be needed.
Committee members asked whether an alternate, traditional library space would be retained; administrators said classroom libraries and distributed collections are part of the redesign and that the Slater space (composed of multiple adjoining classrooms) provides more than enough room for the proposed CTE activities. The administration said design work, floor and paint work, and FF&E procurement are already scheduled and that educators are undertaking relevant training.
When asked about total project cost, administrators estimated capital-improvement costs in the ballpark of $75,000 and said programmatic components (outside vendors and program materials) would require additional funds; CFO DeMello said the grant will be braided with other funding and that the district expects the capital improvement to be covered by grant sources. Committee members stressed the need for project tracking and timely updates.
The motion to authorize the superintendent to execute the RIBEC/Ryback capital grant agreement passed on a roll-call affirmative vote. The administration said work on the Slater library conversion is already underway with painting and flooring scheduled and vendor installation to follow.
