The Newport School Committee voted Tuesday to keep the Newport Area Career Technical Center (NACTC) building in place and remove the cell tower at Rogers High School, addressing two significant issues facing the district.
The committee supported retaining the NACTC building, which houses popular cosmetology and automotive programs. The move requires revising the Rogers High School building project to accommodate this change.
“This solves an incredible number of issues,” said committee member Rebecca Bolan. “It solves where we’re going to put the admin, where we’re going to store some of the things that RIDE doesn’t really allow you to put in your new building.”
The committee also directed Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain to work with the city manager to identify potential funding sources for rerouting utilities, a necessary step in preserving the NACTC building.
Jill Greenman Reynolds, a 1995 graduate of the Rogers High School cosmetology program and local business owner, spoke passionately about the program’s impact.
“Cosmetology changed my life,” Reynolds said. “This program gave me the foundation to become the founder and owner of my salon, Curl Up and Dye.”
Deborah Bjorklund, the current cosmetology teacher, emphasized the program’s value beyond hairdressing skills.
“We are not just hairdressers, we’re more than that,” Bjorklund said. “There is so much more that we can do.”
In a separate vote, the committee approved removing the cell tower at Rogers High School, addressing long-standing community concerns.
Stephen Turcotte, a resident of Old Fort Road, expressed relief at the decision.
“For many years, we as our neighborhood and our community were very intimidated and kind of very concerned about the tower,” Turcotte said.
The cell tower, originally erected as a windmill in 1991, has a lease expiring in April 2025. The committee discussed potential cost-saving measures for its removal, including exploring whether construction crews already on-site for the high school project could assist.
Committee members also reviewed updates on the district’s strategic plan, including initiatives to improve student attendance and strengthen curriculum implementation.
Superintendent Jermain reported progress on several fronts, including over 300 classroom observations conducted since September and ongoing professional development for teachers.
“We’re launching additional training,” Jermain said, noting efforts to enhance instruction for multilingual learners and implement new curriculum.
The committee also approved several financial items, including a memorandum of agreement for an arts initiative grant of $65,793 and an amendment extending the timeline for a $132,250 grant to construct a greenhouse at Rogers High School.
In other business, the committee:
- Approved the hiring of Janet McCarthy as a college advisor at Rogers High School, funded through a grant.
- Authorized the sale of property owned by the East Bay Educational Collaborative in Warren.
- Discussed ongoing efforts to address student absenteeism and tardiness.
Committee member Robert Leary raised concerns about using surplus funds for staffing, arguing for reserving such funds for one-time expenses.
“You don’t take one time money and use it for personnel,” Leary said. “You cannot do that.”
The next regular meeting of the Newport School Committee is scheduled for Jan. 14 at Pell Elementary School.
