Newport Public Schools Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain reports an overwhelmingly positive start to the school year, with students and staff adapting well to the new Rogers High School building that opened following a ribbon-cutting ceremony about a month ago.
“Wow, this is great. It’s wonderful. They’re still, I think, can’t believe that this is their school,” Burns Jermain said during a monthly interview with What’sUpNewp. “They’re experiencing the whole building and they’re taking it all in.”
The new three-story building remains busy from early morning until late evening, with students arriving around 6:50 a.m. and activities continuing until 8 or 9 p.m. on regular days, extending even later during volleyball games.
Staff morale appears high as educators adjust to their new spaces, though some logistical challenges remain. Burns Jermain notes that both students and staff are adapting to using stairs and elevators after previously working in a single-story building.
“Even for the staff, because the staff has the stairs now, which, remember, we were one story, and we have the elevators and the stairs. So they’re getting used to the stairs as well,” she said.
Construction work continues on finishing touches throughout the building. The district maintains a punch list, with vendors addressing items including kitchen fans and display cases. Site work remains underway, with the north parking lot currently unused due to upcoming utility work.
The district plans to close the roadway between the fire station and new building from Wednesday through Saturday of next week to complete water and sewerage line work. This closure will require students who typically walk from the Old Fort Road area to find alternative routes.
Current parking arrangements have students using Wickham Avenue, creating traffic congestion between 1:55 and 2:15 p.m. on weekdays. Burns Jermain advises community members to avoid Wickham Avenue during these times as students transition from lawn parking to street parking.
The district also addresses e-bike safety, reminding families that riders must be 16 years old and wear helmets until age 21. Newport Police Department collaborates with the schools on this safety initiative.
Several open houses are scheduled across the district this week and next. Rogers High School kicks off the series Thursday evening from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. On Monday, Pell Elementary hosts an open house for pre-kindergarten through first grade students from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., while Thompson Middle School holds its open house during the same time slot. Pell concludes the series Tuesday evening with an open house for grades 2 through 4.
The district explores transitioning fifth-grade students from Thompson Middle School to Pell Elementary School, responding to research suggesting elementary settings better serve this age group. Burns Jermain explains that declining enrollment creates capacity at Pell to accommodate fifth graders.
“The fifth grade students, I believe a lot of parents, families, teachers believe that it might be best or better if we can see if we can keep the children for one more year in an elementary setting,” she said.
A working group will examine logistics, including lunch schedules, itinerant teacher schedules, and busing impacts. The district seeks community volunteers for feedback meetings in October and November, aiming to present recommendations to the school committee in December.
If implemented, the change would free considerable space at Thompson Middle School for expanded programming. The district already operates successful STEM programs and received over $100,000 in grant funding for hands-on learning initiatives under Director Robert Young and Kerry Clark’s leadership.
“Students that are involved in CTE programming, our graduation rate is 94 to 95% where the overall high school graduation rate is about 85%,” Burns Jermain noted, emphasizing the importance of career and technical education programs.
The district’s cell phone policy implementation proceeds smoothly, with students generally complying with restrictions. Burns Jermain reports only three instances requiring parent pickup of confiscated phones, indicating second violations.
“It is nice to see they’re talking to each other,” she said, describing improved social interaction in hallways and common areas without cell phone distractions.
Regarding immigration concerns, Burns Jermain reports no ICE visits or related incidents at schools, with attendance actually increasing rather than declining. The district maintains strict protocols for student release and information sharing, reinforcing FERPA privacy protections weekly.
The district resolved previous disputes with the union regarding multilingual learner teacher certification requirements through a settlement establishing clear certification processes and district support for training expenses.
All labor contracts remain settled until 2027, and the district maintains full staffing despite keeping several teachers on a recall list due to financial constraints. Most recalled teachers have found employment elsewhere.
Bus transportation continues without driver shortages through vendor Ocean State, contrasting with challenges faced by other districts.
Burns Jermain credits the new building’s success to eight years of planning and community support, encouraging residents to participate in upcoming building tours scheduled for October. The building represents a collaborative effort involving voters and numerous stakeholders.
Community volunteers at Pell Elementary, led by Susan Sipprelle and Ellen Pinnock, greet students each morning with high-fives and encouragement. Thompson Middle School’s soccer team competes at Braga Field as fall sports seasons progress.
Watch the conversation below
