Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

R.I. District Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for New Elementary School

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/29/26

Key Takeaways

  • Cranston Public Schools completed the new 100,000-square-foot Gladstone Elementary School, replacing the former 1950s-era facility and consolidating the Gladstone and Arlington Elementary School communities.
  • Finegold Alexander Architects designed the new school, with Gilbane Building Company providing construction services and Jacobs serving as Owner’s Project Manager.
  • The school features six Learning Communities with learning commons, studios, active labs, small-group rooms, and teacher collaboration spaces designed to support flexible learning.

Cranston Public Schools in Cranston, R.I., recently announced the completion of Gladstone Elementary School, according to a news release. The 100,000-square-foot facility serves as a replacement for the 1950s-era former building, and it consolidates the student, faculty, and staff populations of Gladstone and Arlington Elementary Schools.

The district partnered with Finegold Alexander Architects for the project’s design, Gilbane Building Company for construction, and Jacobs Owner’s Project Management.

“Gladstone shows us what is possible when a community supports its public schools. It also reminds us that our responsibility extends to every student in Cranston,” said Jeannine Nota-Masse, district superintendent.  “Tonight we celebrate what Cranston has accomplished together: a beautiful new school, the joining of two school communities, and new opportunities for generations of children to come.”

The building is organized into six Learning Communities, each with its own learning commons, learning studios, teacher collaboration workroom, active lab, and small group rooms, the news release reports. The layout allows the class to effortlessly transition between different styles of learning during the day.

“Seeing Gladstone come to life after years of collaboration with the city, educators, students, and the greater Cranston community is incredibly rewarding,” said Regan Shields Ives, AIA, LEED AP, Finegold Alexander Architects Principal. “The ribbon cutting is an opportunity to celebrate not only a new building, but a school shaped around how students learn, connect, and grow. We are thrilled to see students make these spaces their own.”

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Year-Round Schools Require Year-Round Indoor Air Quality Planning

    While many schools are out for the summer, year-round schools follow a more “balanced” schedule with shorter, more frequent breaks spaced throughout the school year. Even though this offers educational benefits, these facilities have less downtime for building maintenance. This can become an issue when facilities managers overlook the importance of routine HVAC maintenance and air duct cleaning services.

  • Wyoming District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    Laramie County School District #1 in Cheyenne, Wy., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the upcoming Mountain View Elementary School, according to a news release. The facility has an estimated completion date of summer 2028, and it will have the capacity for 650 students in fifth and sixth grade.

  • Texas Recruitment

    Texas Recruitment

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The University of Texas at Austin's Texas Recruitment has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Grand Prize award in the category of Renovation.

  • Building Beyond Simulation: Creating Immersive Ecosystems for Healthcare Education

    Health sciences education is one of the fastest-growing facility types in colleges and universities. The demand for medical, nursing, and allied health professionals is driving the creation and renovation of medical simulation training facilities that provide students with real-world experience through advanced simulation-based learning.