Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Rhode Island High School Celebrates Groundbreaking for New Facility

  • By Matt Jones
  • 06/21/22

Officials gathered on Friday, June 17, to celebrate a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Rogers High School in Newport, R.I. The school’s existing facility opened in 1957 and was “in the worst shape” in comparison to more than 300 schools around the state, according to local news. Funding for the new construction is coming from a $98 million bond from the Rhode Island Health and Educational Building Corporation.

Local news reports that the new facility will stand three stories and feature STEM labs, media design labs, a cosmetology center and a culinary center, among other amenities. The school will cover a total of about 166,875 square feet for a cost between $108.2 million and $108.9 million.

Newport voters approved a $106.33-million bond in 2020 to build the new facility, but the project has seen numerous redesigns and budget cuts related to skyrocketing inflation rates. The district partnered with architecture firm SLAM Collaborative Inc. for the building’s design.

“When you hold everything else constant, the condition of a school facility is directly tied to everything from attendance to asthma rates, to reading levels and test scores,” said Rhode Island Treasurer Seth Magaziner at the groundbreaking ceremony. Magaziner led the state’s department of education in a 2017 assessment of all 306 public schools in Rhode Island. “[In our 2017 report], Rogers High School held the dubious distinction of being the worst-rated facility of all 306, so this is a day we have been waiting for for a long time.”

The district is also partnering with Downes Construction Co. for the facility’s construction. The project is scheduled for completion in time for the 2024–25 academic year.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Houston K–12 District Opens New Elementary School

    The Lamar Consolidated Independent School District (Lamar CISD) recently announced the completion of a new elementary school in a western suburb of Houston, Texas, according to a news release. Haygood Elementary School measures in at 110,000 square feet, has the capacity for 854 students, and is the first of three new schools scheduled to be built in the Cross Creek West community.

  • Wisconsin District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The School District of La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff of two existing schools, according to local news. Funding for the school comes from a $53-million referendum approved in 2024.

  • Hawaii Elementary School Breaks Ground on New Classroom Building

    Kealakehe Elementary School in Kailua, Hawaii, recently began construction on a new, $16-million classroom building for its campus, according to a news release. The 13,000-square-foot building will stand two stories and connect the existing upper and lower campuses.

  • DFW-Area District Opens New Replacement Middle School

    The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District near Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new replacement middle school campus, according to a news release. The new facility for Wayside Middle School, originally established in 1964, was built on the site of the former district administration building and funded through Bond Proposition A in 2023.