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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].

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