When it rains, the roof leaks.

When it’s cold outside, the heaters struggle.

When it’s hot outside, the classrooms grow uncomfortably warm, and those equipped with air conditioning are often sweltering because the AC units are prone to failing. 

Welcome to Barrington High School. 

Michael Messore, the Superintendent of Barrington Schools, offered a troubling account of the high school building’s deficiencies during an Oct. 5 community meeting focused on the proposed school construction project. 

The meeting was held inside Barrington Middle School — a state-of-the art building constructed a few years ago that offers teachers flexible learning spaces and specially designed classroom equipment, energy efficient heating, cooling and lighting systems, and plenty more. 

The high school, Messore said, suffers from an assortment of problems, just like the district’s four elementary schools. He said the plumbing in the locker rooms does not work, and in the newer rooms, such as the auditorium, the air conditioning is starting to break down. 

Messore offered a summary of the problems at Barrington High School after some people at the Oct. 5 meeting questioned the Barrington School Building Committee’s decision to feature the renovations and an addition at the high school in the scope of work included in the plan for the proposed $250 million school construction bond. 

Early drafts of the high school work show the creation of a new, two-story addition equipped with science, technology, engineering, art and math classrooms — approximately 30 new learning spaces, as well as “breakout” areas for collaborative work. 

School officials and the hired consultants said proposing school construction in the district without including improvements at the high school would not sit well with officials from the Rhode Island Department of Education. 

Mark Hanchar, a member of the School Building Committee, said state education officials want Rhode Island’s top academic high school to offer the same opportunities as other, newly constructed high schools in Rhode Island — RIDE wants the state’s top high school to look like the state’s top high school. 

Sticker shock

The cost of renovating and resizing four or five of Barrington’s schools surfaced during the Oct. 5 meeting. 

Some residents said the tax impact of the $250 million bond may be too expensive for them. They said that if the bond passes, they may be forced to move out of Barrington. 

Cynthia Rosengard, a member of the town’s Committee on Appropriations, shared a statement of concern with the Barrington Times last week. 

“Because we do not have a huge business district in Barrington, the majority of our budgets are funded by property taxes. I am very concerned about the potential impact that a $250 million bond might have on those who cannot absorb a greater than $1,000 increase to their taxes,” she wrote. 

Members of the School Building Committee and the hired consultants tried to explain the costs associated with the proposed work. They said renovating the schools and creating additions carries a smaller price tag than building all new schools: A renovated and re-sized elementary school will cost approximately $30 to $32 million, while a completely new elementary school will cost approximately $48 to $50 million 

Officials said that building a new school on some of the district’s school sites, where there are wetlands issues, could also escalate that price. 

The architect also said the renovations would be significant changes: replacing floors and ceilings and hardware fixtures; crews would mitigate hazardous materials, install fire protections systems, new plumbing, new HVAC, all new duct work, and replace all the electrical.

Also, where it is possible, walls will be removed, creating larger classroom spaces, officials said. 

“This gives you a like-new building,” said Tecton Architect Principal-in-Charge Jeff Wyszynski. 

At the Oct. 5 meeting, people learned about potential work at Nayatt School, should officials decide to do a renovation and re-sizing without adding prekindergarten and Grades 4 and 5. The owners project manager explained how work would be completed in phases at the school, and that any mitigation of hazardous materials would take place when students were not in the schools. Air quality would be monitored throughout, he said. 

Someone asked if a previous plan — “Option 2B” which was drafted during the previous planning process — was less expensive than the current proposal. 

TJ Peck, chairman of the School Building Committee, said “Option 2B” would have cost roughly $240 million and did not include any improvements at Barrington High School.

A short time later, a woman in the crowd praised the current School Building Committee and said she was pleased that the new plans include work at the high school. 

Peck also explained that school officials were going to have to make improvements at the high school with or without the renovations and additions, as systems at the school are failing and have been identified for required work by RIDE.