Voters in six Rhode Island school districts today approved millions of dollars in school building projects, with only voters in North Kingstown rejecting a $222 million bond that would have funded building a new middle school.
In Middletown, voters barely approved a $190 million school bond by a vote of slightly more than 100 votes.
In the Congressional race, Democrat Greg Amo easily defeated Republican Gerry Leonard to fill the seat vacated earlier in the year by David Cicilline, who left Congress to become executive director of the Rhode Island Foundation.
In Providence, Democrat Jacob Bisraillon, who had served as chief of staff to the Senate president, soundly defeated Republican Niyoka Powell in a special election in Senate District 1 to fill the seat of Sen. Maryellen Goodwin, who died in April.
The school proposals came amid reports of cost overruns in communities throughout the state that had previously approved building projects. The spate of building projects followed a 2017 Rhode Island Department of Education report, the Jacobs Report, that said to bring schools statewide to safe and educationally sound levels, it would cost $2.2 billion.
Communities like Newport (Rogers High School project) are reporting shortfalls of more than $10 million, while other communities like Warwick and Westerly, are looking at shortfalls of millions of dollars. In South Kingstown, the town council withdrew a $125 million school referendum that would have asked voters to approve building a new high school.
The votes also came with the promise of considerable reimbursements from the Rhode Island Department of Education.
In Middletown voters approved a $190 million bond to build a combination middle and high school and make repairs and improvements to other schools. The middle and high schools would be separate but connected. Under the plan, the current high school would be renovated to house grades two through five, along with school administration and the facilities department. The Forest Avenue Elementary School would be refurbished for pre-k through first grade, and the Aquidneck Elementary School would be made available to the town as a community center.
The Middletown vote followed a failed attempt at merging Middletown and Newport Schools. That referendum was approved by Middletown voters but rejected in Newport.
Middletown anticipates a 55 percent reimbursement from RIDE.
The referendum was approved by a vote of 2,046 to 1,926, according to the State Board of Elections.
Here are the other the results of other school building and other referenda around ther state:
- Barrington – voters approved a $250 million bond to fund improvements at the town’s high school and elementary schools, replacing two modular buildings. Barrington expects a 55 percent RIDE reimbursement. Approve 2,018, reject 1,120.
- Bristol/Warren School District- voters approved a $200 million bond to replace Mt. Hope High School and renovate other school buildings. The new facility would include career and technical education spaces and performing arts facilities. School officials are hopeful of a RIDE reimbursement up to 83 percent. Voters in Bristol voted 2,194 to 1,356 to approve the bond, and voters ion Warren voted 1,356 to 655 to approve the bond.
- Cumberland voters approved a $52 million to rebuild B.F. Norton Elementary School by a vote of 3,413 to 1,574.
- East Greenwich voters approved a $150 million to build a new Frenchtown Elementary School, renovate or rebuild Hanaford Elementary School, and renovate Meadowbrook Elementary School to develop a new pre-K and kindergarten learning center. The town expects a 55 percent RIDE reimbursement. The vote in favor was 1,567 to 696.
- Lincoln voters a $25 million bond to renovate all four elementary schools by a vote of 3,141 to 948. They also approved a $14 million bond to build a centralized rescue station by a vote of 2,918 to 1,177..
- North Kingstown voters rejected a $222 million bond that would have funded building a new middle school to replace the Davisville and Wickford Middle School. The bond ncluded $55 million to build a new public safety complex. That bond was rejected 4,689 to 2,893. Voters also rejected another $25 million bond to fund an indoor recreation/shelter by a vote of 4,888 to 2,685.
- In North Smithfield voters rejected an $18 million bond for police station development/renovation by a vote of 1,643 to 992.