EAST PROVIDENCE — Unlike the need for a one-off, near-complete remodeling of Martin Middle School, its counterpart in Riverside has received a steady stream of upgrades in recent years to keep it viable with more soon to come.

Late last calendar year the district applied for and received funding from the Rhode Island Department of Education's Facility Equity Initiative program earmarked towards RMS for improvements to the buildings Science rooms and library.

The School Committee at its June 13 meeting heard where the effort was at the moment from a design standpoint from Ai3 architect John Quell and from Anne DaSilva, a Senior Manager for the Peregrine Group, the district's owner project manager.

According to the district's application for Facility Equity Initiative funding the plans are to convert the existing library into a Media Center with a Maker/Building Lab while "modernizing" the six of the eight existing Science classrooms into "flexible" labs.

Quell told the committee "a lot of great progress" has been made with the concepts for the library/media center. A key feature would be the creation of a so-called "store front" on the second floor. It's actually a window-enclosed balcony that allows for the area to have more light. It will also help with sound distribution, distinguishing the second floor so activities can go on in both spaces without being disturbed.

As for the Science labs, they will be on a par with the new ones to be constructed at Martin Middle School. Quell said the renovations will "create an open Science classroom that's more inclusive of 21st Century learning."

From a finance standpoint, DaSilva told the committee the working cost of the RMS project was $3.896 million, which was under the initial budgeted amount. She did caution, though, that while the estimates at the moment were "slightly" less that thought, "there are some items that we need to further develop, including the 'store front.'"

If, as is the case with all of the other current construction proposals in the district, the RMS plans receive approval from RIDE, the expectation is for work to begin as soon as this summer.