Barrington School officials are working on a report that details the district’s climate resilience and sustainability. 

The report, while still in its draft form, highlights student-led environmental initiatives, planned upgrades to the public school buildings, and the school department’s environmental policies. It also includes some of the environmental awards Barrington Schools won in recent years. 

A draft press release about the report was included with the recent School Committee meeting backup documents. It included a comment from Barrington School Committee Chairman Patrick McCrann.

“Our district has invested in many sustainable and resilient efforts over the years that help minimize our environmental impact,” McCrann said. “This report is a reflection of the deep commitment of Barrington Public Schools to our community, today and tomorrow. As we continue to prioritize the learning needs of our students, we are also continuing to take important steps that improve our environmental footprint, sustainability, and overall cost-savings for years to come.”

The report details how school officials focused on environmental sustainability while planning and building the new middle school. 

“Today, BMS serves as a model of 21st century learning and energy sustainability and achieves a 40% energy savings above the International Energy Efficiency Certificate 2009 baseline requirements,” stated the draft report. “In early 2022, Barrington Middle School was one of Rhode Island's first new school construction projects to receive additional housing aid bonuses. As highlighted in this report, the Town of Barrington received a $1.5 million energy bonus from the RI Department of Education for its innovative efforts to reduce its environmental impact at BMS.”

The report also includes the middle school’s recent Green Ribbon. The U.S. Department of Education named BMS a Green Ribbon School, which recognizes the country’s most successful educational institutions in “reducing their environmental impact and cost, improving health and wellness, and providing effective and sustainable education.”

The district has faced some criticism for not installing solar panels atop the middle school, despite having the building constructed with all the needed infrastructure to support panels. The report addresses that situation.

“Emphasizing energy efficiency, Barrington Middle School (BMS) was built utilizing energy efficient practices, and met its building’s energy efficiency goals,” stated the draft report. “Though building code required this project to be made ‘solar ready,’ this did not imply or commit the project to installing photovoltaic (PV) panels.

“Due to the significant financial burden BMS solar panels would place on taxpayers, solar panels were never part of the official project or the construction design plans.”

The draft report does reflect on the school department’s participation in a net metering project, where the school district partners with the Town of Bristol and the Town of Barrington in a long-term purchase agreement that supports clean energy initiatives. 

“This environmental- and budget-friendly decision allows the district to receive net metering credits based off of the solar power generated in East Greenwich, resulting in about $5,000 per month cost savings for the District since 2022, or approximately $60,000 annually,” stated the draft report. 

The draft report also includes a section about the upcoming school construction projects and how they mesh with sustainability initiatives. It lists “Lower Energy Use Intensity (EUI),” and “Efficiency and adaptability.”

“The current EUI for Barrington High School, Nayatt

School, Primrose Hill School, and Sowams School ranges between 83-140 EUI,” stated the draft report. “The Building Project is targeting a 35-55 EUI, which is

significantly below the baseline code minimum of 70-80 EUI.”

Under the efficiency and adaptability section, the report states “The Building Project’s interior and

exterior improvements to all schools will prepare to make District schools sustainable and resilient for decades to come.”

The draft report also highlights district efforts, which include recycling programs, composting programs, student-led green teams, and “eco-friendly extracurricular activities for students.”

Barrington School Committee members discussed the report during the July 18 meeting. Officials said they needed to make a few small changes before sharing a press release about the report with the public.