PROVIDENCE — The State Board of Education at a meeting held Tuesday night, May 15, gave its final approval for plans to construct a new East Providence High School.
The decision allows the …
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PROVIDENCE — The State Board of Education at a meeting held Tuesday night, May 15, gave its final approval for plans to construct a new East Providence High School.
The decision allows the process to move forward. The next step is for the district to formally submit a bond referendum to the General Assembly for its approval. City politicians Gregg Amore, in the House of Representatives, and Billy Conley, in the Senate, are sponsoring the legislation, which will allow the city to place the item on the November 2018 ballot to seek voter support.
“It’s another milestone,” East Providence Schools Superintendent Kathryn Crowley said of the BOE decision. “The Board of Education has officially approved the building project for the new East Providence High School. Now we’re onto the House and Senate and then, hopefully, to the voters in November.”
The BOE backed the proposal submitted by the district to build a new EPHS at a cost of $189,500,000. In giving a nod to the plan, the board also approved reimbursing East Providence at a rate of 54.5 percent of the price or approximately $96 million.
The assembly is also considering a proposal from Governor Gina Raimondo about placing a state-wide referendum in front of voters in November, which would allow the state to secure $500 million in monies to help municipalities improve infrastructure of its schools.
If incentives included in the governor’s plan are reached, all of which are part of the East Providence proposal, the district and the city could be reimbursed up to as much as 74.5 percent of the total cost of the new high school.
The construction of the new high school is dependent on residents approving city-centric bond item to back the entire building price tag.
“I’m feeling good about it,” Superintendent Crowley said of the potential to increase state funding. “I’m looking hopefully at getting between 70 and 75 percent in the end.”
At its May 8 meeting, the East Providence School Committee approved the hiring of city-based Peregrine Group to serve as the district’s project manager for the new high school. Samuel Bradner is representing the company.
The committee is expected soon to approve the submission of a Request For Proposal seeking a Construction Manager at Risk, a firm to be recommended by Peregrine to build the facility.