Middletown: State comes through with reimbursements for new school, related work

Middletown is getting reimbursed by the state for its new middle-high school and related building work.

At a meeting Monday night in Town Hall, Town Administrator Shawn J. Brown shared the latest good news about the project, which remains all systems go to help improve and upgrade the educational system of Middletown.

Based on figures provided to the town, the state Department of Education is slated to award up to a total of $163.8 million in reimbursements for the project. That includes about $29.6   million in capital improvements not originally expected to be covered by the state, resulting in close to $30 million in savings to local taxpayers.

“We’re extremely excited about the news here,” Brown said. “The state has been an outstanding partner throughout this entire process and we’re so appreciative for what they’re doing to help Middletown get a new middle-high school and related work. It’s a huge win for everybody.”

The Rhode Island Council On Elementary & Secondary Education met on May 28 in Providence and received the Department of Education’s recommendation to support the town’s Phase 2 application along with correspondence, thanking the group for its support, guidance and belief throughout the entire process.

A number of people submitted comments on the community’s behalf, saying without the reimbursements from the state, it would be difficult to for Middletown to move forward with the project.

The Council agreed, saying all the expenditures part of the bond are eligible for State Housing Aid. That means local taxpayers are on the hook for even less of cost of the effort.

Council President Paul M. Rodrigues said there was quite a bit of good news for Middletown surrounding the project, whether it was word from the state, the recent retention of the  town’s “Aa1” bond rating and more.

Saying he and the council were extremely happy with the positive developments and the town was moving forward with the project, which remains firmly “on time and on budget.”

“We’re going to build new schools,” Rodrigues said. “Along with those new schools, we’ll get better facilities and we have a better education. That’s the goal. It’s what drives a community, it’s schools. There’s a lot of good news here.”

Last month, the town approved a construction manager contract to Gilbane Building Company of Providence for the middle-high school work, with The Bentley Companies named as the construction manager to renovate the existing Middletown High and Forest Avenue School buildings.

Groundbreaking for the new school is expected in the spring of 2025, with the 200,000-square-foot building on line to open in the fall of 2027.

In November 2023, voters approved the $190 million project during a special election. 

One selling points was the projected 55 percent reimbursement from the state Department of Education for the new middle-high school just north of Gaudet. Another was providing state-of-the-art amenities like an auditorium, gymnasium and other safe, secure spaces to help improve 21st century learning.

At the same time, the existing Middletown High School building would be repurposed for a grade two-five learning center as well as administrative and maintenance offices. 

Proponents have said that Valley Road facility may have outlived its useful life as a high school, but with modest renovations part of the $190 million bond it could have new life as a grade 2-5 elementary school.

Around the corner, money was also included in the $190 million for rehabbing the existing Forest Avenue School into an early childhood learning complex for pre-kindergarten through first graders.

Colliers International is serving as the project lead, with HMFH architects and CIVIC educational planners providing expertise as well.

For updates and details from the School Building Committee on the project, go to https://mdl.town/SBC online. The school building board meets on tonight at 5 in the Oliphant administration building.