To the editor:

The citizens of Barrington came together in Nov. 2016 and passed the school referendum to build a much-needed new Barrington Middle School.  

To see it through, Rhode Island law requires another vote, in person, to approve funding on Thursday, March 16 at 7 p.m. at Barrington High School. If enough people don’t show up to support it again, the referendum will fail and we will be back at ground zero with a dilapidated school.

Let’s remember why we need to support the funding of a new middle school.

The school’s structural problems are shocking. BMS, in the bottom 5 percent of all state schools, was given RIDE's lowest rating of 4, “poor.” Words such as “corrosion, mold, asbestos, ponding water, flashing and waterproofing issues” are not fanciful — they are in the reports. Clearly stated by Sam Parish, building engineer, “These types of deficiencies become obstacles to creating a healthy indoor environment…Repairs to correct these issues are often more costly than demolition and starting over with a new building.” 

Voting against the bond funding means spending an estimated $11 million in immediate costs required to merely keep the school habitable bringing BMS in compliance with federal and state codes. There will be no end in structural deficiencies and subsequent spending. Having to fix the “sick” and “broken” current building is urgent and real. RIDE also determined that BMS does not meet current, let alone, future education standards, with classrooms and science laboratories short of RIDE recommendations. The school lacks proper equipment, technology, fresh air circulation, natural light, electrical outlets and on and on. 

Our kids deserve better. 

Costs for a new school won’t decrease with time and will rise if we don’t build now. Bond interest rates will increase and we face escalating construction costs (3.5-7.5 percent per year). The expense in just a few years of deferring building this or a lesser school, could exceed $100 million. We also risk losing state funding assistance ($16 to $18 million of the $68.4 million) as RIDE's funding comes after a four-year spending freeze and is committed to this project only. 

The time is now. Every year we wait, we dig the hole deeper, needing a new building at higher costs. The need for a new structure does not go away. We cannot afford to vote no.

It shouldn't matter whether you currently have children in the schools. Providing young children with a safe and proper learning environment is a moral obligation; it is also important to the livelihood of our town. Remember when town elders funded new school projects for your children and grandchildren.  

This is not a vote-with-your-pocketbook issue. Education is the cornerstone of this community in many ways. Quality public education contributes heavily to our property values and the stability of our town, setting Barrington apart from other RI towns.

No one wants to pay more taxes but the reality of paying even more in the near future to build the same or an even lesser school makes no sense. Acting now to build a school that meets our community standards, keeping us on our current educational trajectory, is the right thing...for our kids, for our community and for an outdated, moldy, wet, unsalvageable, old school.  

Please think of the children, our school system, and our community. Come to Barrington High School on March 16 at 7 p.m. and Vote YES.

Kathleen & Bill Gantz

Barrington