The district-wide construction projects officially passed a momentous threshold in recent days when the majority of the Bristol Warren School Committee formally approved the 60 percent design construction documents forwarded to it by the building sub-group.

The action means the design now heads to the Rhode Island Department of Education for its consideration and subsequent backing, which, though not a formality, should be forthcoming as the district's associates, owner project manager PMA Consultants and architects Perkins-Eastman, have been working with state officials since the start of planning.

Voters at a special election in 2023 gave the district the ability to bond up to $200 million to construct a new Mt. Hope High School as well as significantly renovate five other buildings. Upon fiscal impact study, the school committee stated its intention to cap spending at approximately $186 million total.

That figure includes the working amount of $133,927,901 alone for the new high school. The existing earmarks for other buildings are: Kickemuit Middle School, $8,725,638; Hugh Cole, $8,078,896; Rockwell, $4,069,454; and Colt Andrews, $2,566,673.

"It's been our commitment to the taxpayers all along," school committee Chairman Adam McGovern said after his body's January 27 meeting when the 60% design docs were approved.

If and when RIDE returns a positive decision, the district is shortly thereafter expected to initiate a Request for Proposal process this spring to find a contractor to oversee all facets of the project.

"It's competitively advantageous and financially advantageous to have them all done by together," McGovern said of the bid process. "We don't want a bunch of different contractors involved. We want one, big, well-planned document so (companies) will want to do it."

The aim remains for construction of the new high school to begin sometime this summer following the completion of the current 2024-25 term with the goal of opening the building in time for the 2027-28 term.

The district will be reimbursed by the state on $157 million of the construction costs at an initial  of 63%, which is the base figure for the towns under RIDE's formula. If the district, as intended, meets a series of incentives for such things as curriculum, energy efficiency and other criteria, that rate could and should rise to some 83%.

Again on the pledge to taxpayers, McGovern added, "That ($200 million bond figure) assumed RIDE would reimburse us for what we originally planned. They reduced that a bit so what we committed from a tax payer perspective is currently at $186 million. That can change though depending on several variables, but the tax impact is what we are using as a guide."

How much and from where the funding is derived was integral to a discussion the committee had at the January 27 meeting on so-called "alternates" to be included in the design documents. Alternates are not officially part of the initial construction, but would be added to the project if and when monies within the $186 million budget become available.

All of the alternates, approved by the full committee and building sub-group, are intended for the new high school property.

In order of potential inclusion are as follows:

• Add press box and grandstand bleachers, concession stand and toilet facilities at the athletics stadium, estimate $3 million
• Allowance to add lighting at tennis courts, estimate $450,000
• Add baseball field, including site work, irrigation, field, fencing, backstops, dugouts, bullpen and scoreboard, estimate $2 million
• Add toilet facility building to baseball field (infrastructure in base scope), estimate $450,000
• Utilize Full Geothermal System - Replace 100% of Air Source with Geo-Thermal Wells providing natural heat exchanger either to heat or cool the structure

Of the stadium amenities, McGovern said, "The bleachers, press box, concession and restrooms (in one structure) is currently not in the base estimate right now, but it is the first alternate. PMA is confident the money will be there when the time comes. If you look at their projects, most of them have come in under (budget). They feel optimistic we're going to have room to

As for the baseball field, which would move on campus from the Guiteras School Field on Washington Street, McGovern said, "With baseball, it's one of the things we've been talking about since the inception of project. There's an element of safety here" because of students needing to go off-campus to play.

Regardless if most or all of the alternates are added in immediately, McGovern said the district will have the ability to pursue each in the future.

"All of the infrastructure will be there. They're included in the initial construction phase," he explained. "The lines (power and sewer) from the building to the tennis courts will be there, to the fields will be. We won't have to dig up the ground when we decide to do it."

More MHHS notes
McGovern confirmed what has previously been reported out of committee that commencement ceremonies for the 2025 graduating class at the high school will take place at its traditional location at the athletics stadium.

Matters not yet "officially official" pertain to where the outdoor fall sports will play their home games later this calendar year with the start of construction anticipated for the summer.

When asked, athletic director Christy Belisle said as it currently stands the district is "working with Roger Williams University to secure home schedules" for the girl's tennis team and both soccer clubs.

She continued, football is definite to play its home games at the town field located behind KMS in Warren. It's likely sometime in the fall, though, football will be displaced from the high school site and will also practice in Warren at Jamiel Park.

Other project notes
Though the high school takes up most of the oxygen from the new construction projects talk, other buildings have significant upgrades in the offing including that at KMS where the intention is to move fifth graders from the elementary level to its campus.

However, McGovern noted the shift is not dependent on the any work needing to be done to building.

"It's really a matter of reallocating space," McGovern said. "We've found the space efficiency (at KMS) below the mark. We do need to build a new security vestibule and to make other improvements like we do at other buildings (i.e. roof, electrical and HVAC upgrades)."

McGovern said the target date for making the enrollment changes at KMS remains at the start of the 2026-27 school year. He also noted the bulk of construction there and at the elementary buildings will likely take place in the summers between terms.