EAST PROVIDENCE — Providence Country Day School and the Henry Barnard School announced a merger of the two private, independent institutions with the anticipation the latter, 122-year-old …
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EAST PROVIDENCE — Providence Country Day School and the Henry Barnard School announced a merger of the two private, independent institutions with the anticipation the latter, 122-year-old elementary level entity located in Providence eventually moving to the PCD campus in East Providence.
Leaders of both schools, Scott Bromberg, president of the HBS Parents Association, and PCD’s Head of School Kevin Folan, issued a joint press release Tuesday, March 9, stating the intention to form the partnership. The schools will unite for the 2021-2022 term to create a continuous Pre-Kindergarten-12 education. Mr. Folan will be the Head of School for all grade levels.
“Opportunities like this do not present themselves often. This is a chance for two institutions with strong, century-old legacies of educating young people to come together to enhance and expand the incredible education each provides,” Mr. Folan said. “I thank Scott Bromberg and the many HBS volunteers for their commitment to keeping this school moving forward despite the many challenges and for taking action on this opportunity. This is a once-in-a-century partnership, and we are delighted to see what the future holds for our school.”
The move was necessitated after Rhode Island College, where the Barnard School has long been housed, announced in summer 2020 that it would close the latter at the end of the current school year due to ongoing budgetary concerns. Barnard will remain in its existing school building on the RIC Campus while plans are being made to transition onto PCD’s 30-acre site within three to five years.
“I am excited to announce our partnership with Providence Country Day School,” Mr. Bromberg said. “I am especially thankful to the HBS community, particularly the dedicated staff, many alumni and devoted parents who volunteered countless hours toward finding a path forward for our beloved school. I would also like to thank Rhode Island College President, Frank Sánchez, and his staff for enabling the parents to pursue a path forward for HBS. We are proud to partner with PCD to continue in this shared vision of educating young learners for years to come. Thank you to Head of School, Kevin Folan, and the PCD Board for their vision and recognition of the valuable impact Henry Barnard School has made on young learners for decades.”
The situation at Barnard also coincided with PCD’s new learning initiative, “Quest,” a curriculum program based upon the philosophy of being accessible, personal and relevant in the modern age. As well, PCD late last year announced it was adding a fifth-grade class to its existing 6-12 levels.
“It’s a natural fit for both schools,” says Mark McLaughlin, Associate Head of School and Director of Strategic Partnerships at PCD, where he has worked for the past 30 years. “We have seen many graduates from Henry Barnard School matriculate to PCD over the years and find great success. It has always been a natural transition between our two campuses. This will just bring us together as part of the same school and provide additional continuity for families first starting school through high school graduation.”
Applications are currently being accepted for enrollment for the 2021-2022 academic year preschool and elementary school students at Henry Barnard’s existing location on the RIC campus, and for middle school and high school students at PCD’s campus.
Families interested in learning more may visit henrybarnard.org or providencecountryday.org/henrybarnard for more information on the partnership and how to apply for PreK-12. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis as space allows, and all offers of admission from HBS will be honored through this partnership.