Newport Public Schools is entering its final weeks of the school year with a packed calendar of events and preparations for the long-awaited opening of the new Rogers High School this fall.
Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain confirmed the last day of school is June 20, with graduation set for June 12 at Toppa Field.
“We have a lot of good things going on,” Jermain shared with What’sUpNewp during her monthly one-on-one live conversation, highlighting upcoming events including honors night at Rogers High School, spring concerts, and the Pell Spring Fest where families will gather to celebrate the end of the school year.
The district is also preparing for the August 22 ribbon cutting for the new Rogers High School, with inspections currently underway.
“We’re on track so far. We have all the inspections, reviews, painters, last minute details are going on and we’re keeping our fingers crossed that all our inspections pass,” Jermain says.
If all goes according to plan, the keys to the new building will be handed over next Friday (June 6), allowing the district to begin moving into the new facility. The old Rogers High School will be demolished in the fall, with the process expected to be completed by December 2025.
The district continues to face budget challenges for the upcoming fiscal year. Jermain reported a $906,000 gap in the proposed budget, even after implementing 12 layoffs last week.
“Ten of those layoffs were permanent layoffs. Like, most likely based on budget and financial situations restructuring, those positions won’t come back. The other layoffs were one-year only. Those positions I will be bringing back,” Jermain explained.
The district’s budget request to the city includes a 4% increase over last year’s allocation. The city has not yet approved a bottom line for the budget, which is typically finalized in June.
In addition to the layoffs, the district is looking at reducing costs in areas such as transportation and out-of-district tuitions to address the budget gap.
The district is also implementing a job placement program next week for teachers who were displaced as part of the settlement with the Teachers Association of Newport (TAN). Jermain noted that approximately 51-52 teachers were displaced, though she expects about 95% will likely remain in their current positions.
Looking ahead to the new school year, Newport schools are preparing for a cell phone-free environment in the new high school building. The district has implemented “Cell Phone Free Fridays” for the remainder of the current school year to help students adjust to the upcoming policy change.
“When we enter the new school building, cell phones will not be in use and students are going to have to give up their cell phones when they come into the schools next year,” Jermain said.
Currently, about 50-60 students regularly participate in the cell phone-free initiative. The district is collecting feedback from participants about their experiences without phones during the school day.
Jermain noted that the Rhode Island Superintendent’s Association supports limiting cell phone use in high schools, and Representative Lauren Carson has introduced legislation at the state level to ban cell phones in high schools.
“I do think that it would be powerful if the state did participate in issuing something. And at the same time, though, it must have flexibility and give the local the opportunity to implement policy as it sees fit for its community,” Jermain said.
The district is also celebrating student achievements, including the Climate Resiliency Challenge where ninth-grade students created projects to address climate issues in Newport and Rhode Island. Projects included ocean proximity housing rules, an oyster breeding farm solution, and a hydroelectric filtration building.
“That’s what we’re trying to do with our portrait of a graduate leadership. Taking hold of one’s learning, creating opportunities and real world responsibilities as far as working in your community and how you can provide solutions,” Jermain said.
Attendance remains a challenge at the high school level, with rates dropping from 92% at the beginning of the school year to the mid-80s in recent weeks, excluding a recent dip to 74.2% on Senior Skip Day.
“Once February comes, it becomes very challenging at the high school level for multiple reasons. One has to do with jobs, one has to do with graduation credits, one has to do with just teenage life,” Jermain explained.
As the school year comes to a close, Jermain remains optimistic about the district’s future, particularly with the opening of the new high school.
“We’re very excited, keeping our fingers crossed for getting the keys handed over next Friday. And we’ll keep those inspections going in a positive note and then we go for the big move,” she said.
Watch the whole conversation below
