Barrington officials took a key step toward improving local schools on Monday night, May 8.

After a lengthy discussion, members of the School Committee and Town Council agreed to ask the Rhode Island General Assembly for support in a school construction bond that is not to exceed $250 million. 

Officials repeatedly explained that the bond amount was a ceiling or a “not-to-exceed” figure. They said there was still a lot of work to be done.

Barrington School Committee Chairman Patrick McCrann said the bond amount was simply a number for the planning process. Committee members voted 5-0 to support the $250 million bond resolution. 

Members of the Barrington Town Council voted 5-0 to submit the resolution to the General Assembly. The legislature now needs to vote in support of the resolution. 

Council President Carl Kustell said he viewed the Council’s vote as an attempt to preserve Barrington’s rights to access potentially higher reimbursement amounts from the state. Kustell said Council members could support this resolution but they could also later see a plan and oppose that plan. 

At this point, there is no specific plan for the school construction work. 

Initially, school officials had been considering a $215 million bond, but Committee member Amanda Basse suggested a higher bond amount would give officials greater flexibility when planning the future school construction. Basse made a motion to increase the bond figure to $250 million and other School Committee members agreed. 

Committee member TJ Peck said he was in favor of giving officials maximum flexibility in the planning process. The higher bond amount, officials said, would allow a greater opportunity for new construction and not just renovation work.

Megan Douglas supported the push for new construction but also had concerns about the potential impact a large school bond would have on taxpayers. 

That point was earlier mentioned by Council member Annelise Conway. She asked what residents could expect from the tax impact for a $215 million bond. Peck said he had worked with Barrington Finance Director Kathy Raposa and drafted a chart — a 30-year bond with a 4.10 percent rate would result in an annual tax increase of 8 or 9 percent for residents. 

“It’s significant,” Peck said. 

Conway also asked about the potential reimbursement bonuses Barrington could receive for the school construction project. The state offers a minimum reimbursement of 35 percent for construction projects, but the district could receive additional reimbursements for achieving certain objectives in the construction.

Council member Kate Berard asked why officials had focused mainly on school building rehabilitations and not new construction. She said the high school has structural issues and is located in a flood plain. Berard said some schools might be a good fit for rehabilitation — she mentioned Sowams School — while others may be better candidates for new construction. 

Frazier Bell said the high school needs a lot of work. He also said it might need to be rebuilt. Peck added that the district’s project manager, Downes Construction, will help direct officials to the best course forward for school construction. 

School officials said the planning process is not complete — there will be additional opportunities for community engagement. 

Members of the public also spoke during the meeting. Tom Brueckner asked if the $215 million estimate would eliminate some options for new construction. School officials said a larger bond amount would offer greater flexibility with the projects. 

Lisa Nelson reminded officials that when planning the school construction work, they needed to remember that children are not little adults, and that they have specific needs and concerns. 

Lisa Daft said she supported the bond resolution. She asked if there were any town bonds that were falling off in the upcoming years. Douglas said there were some bonds falling off, but none that were very large. Daft asked how much money was in the school district’s capital reserve account. Finance Director Doug Fiore said there was about $5.5 million in that account. Daft then asked if there was an appetite to use some of that money for the required school improvements. Officials said there was. 

TR Rimoshytus said he supported the $250 million bond resolution. He also asked why athletic field improvements were not included in the Stage II application to the RI Department of Education. Peck said athletic fields were listed as an option. He said that field construction could also be added later as an additional bond. 

Megan Lavigne asked why the construction estimates were so different between the district’s previous consultant KBA and the current project manager Downes. KBA had reportedly told school officials that renovation work would be far more expensive than new construction, while Downes has reported the opposite.

Peck said Downes offered real-time reliable figures from current projects they are involved with. 

Following the public comment period, officials voted to recommend the $250 million bond resolution and then advance it to the General Assembly.