Say good-bye to the old Barrington Middle School.

Demolition of the old school building is expected to begin by the end of this week, said Doug Fiore, the director of administration and finance for Barrington schools. 

But do not expect a huge implosion or a wrecking ball. 

Mr. Fiore said demolition of the old middle school will be very controlled, and conducted with excavators "picking away" at the old building.

The reason, said Mr. Fiore, is that crews will be salvaging some of the material from the old building as they knock down the structure.

Mr. Fiore said workers will also try to control dust and debris that surfaces during the demolition, spraying water to minimize the spread of dust. 

For the last couple of weeks, crews have been conducting the asbestos mediation process inside the old school. They are expected to complete that work soon, said Mr. Fiore.

Barrington school officials will open the new middle school to students at the beginning of the 2019-20 school year in early September. 

The new building, paid for through a $68.4 million bond, will offer collaborative work spaces, state of the art classrooms and other features, including a fitness room, a media center, and a television recording studio. 

The old middle school, built in 1958 and added to in 1968, had smaller, inflexible work spaces; students would often do their classwork in the hallways. 

Some rooms in the old building —  the technology room, one of the cafeterias, and two of the science labs — lacked any natural light. 

During a 2013 analysis, the old Barrington Middle School was one of only 14 schools statewide that received the lowest rating of "poor."

In 2016, Barrington voters approved a $68.4 million bond to build the new school. Brait Builders Corporation won the bid for the project and construction started in early 2018.

Turning lane

The Barrington School Building Committee was expected to discuss road work surrounding the new middle school during its meeting on Monday night. 

The work would include widening the roadway, and adding a turning lane, among other enhancements. 

The project was slated to be completed by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation in 2022, but according to Mr. Fiore, the DOT recently agreed to fast-track the work (completing it by the start of the school year) if the town was willing to pay for half the project. The work is estimated to cost $624,000 in total.

The school building committee is expected to make a recommendation to the school committee on whether to absorb the cost. 

Mr. Fiore said Barrington's portion of the project's cost would be eligible for reimbursement (at least 35 percent) from the Rhode Island Department of Education.