To the editor:

The Bristol Warren School Regional Committee would like to acknowledge the overwhelming message that was sent by the voters of Bristol Warren with the acceptance of the school bond ballot question, for a once-in-a-lifetime investment in our children, families and our future. Our kids deserve safe, warm, dry and energy-efficient state-of-the-art learning environments.

The members of our Bristol and Warren community stated unequivocally that our kids deserve better, and that they share our vision.

Win or lose, we wanted the results to be definitive. The numbers for a special election were beyond what we could have hoped for. We have so much enjoyed these months of conversations with people from both towns. Whether it was at concerts, parades, community forums, or doorsteps we wanted to meet people where they were at to present a transparent and unified vision of all our priorities, the process and the potential outcomes. Voters paid attention because they believed that this was a critical vote and that the outcome mattered for the future of our two towns.

As our academic achievement continues to improve as seen in the recent RICAS scores, and historic SAT scores from the class of 2024, we will soon be able to provide learning environments that will inspire our students to further tap into their potential. We hope to build spaces that will enable the growth of our CTE programs to better prepare our students for career and college, and an environment that fosters feelings of connection and safety.

Now the real work begins. We will continue to work with RIDE to make sure we earn the maximum possible reimbursement and start working on the design phase while remaining fiscally responsible and focused on student growth. We can’t wait to get started.

Signed,
The members of the Bristol Warren Regional School Committee