![[CREDIT: Rob Borkowski] Warwick Veterans Middle School, 2401 W Shore Rd, Warwick, RI, is the venue for the Warwick School Committee meetings.](https://warwickpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Warwick-Veterans-Middle-School.jpg)
“Those plans that we showed you a few months ago are still intact, I can assure you,” John Bates from Left Field told the Committee Tuesday. “Yes, we certainly had to find areas to save money over the last several months, but the items on these lists generally represent things that the building’s users won’t recognize. We’re in the process of producing new cost estimates on the next round of design documents.”
The cuts, referred to as value engineering (VE), were discussed by the district’s consultants including the Office of the Project Manager (OPM), the architects, representative of a half dozen engineering firms, and the construction manager. (The list of new high schools cuts for each school design is attached at the end of this article.)
“The purpose of the VE is to find savings which do not impact the functionality, overall appearance, or the users’ experience at the facility,” Bates noted.
A few of the rejected items included an indoor shooter detection system and environmental system (vape detection) at Pilgrim and Toll Gate.
School Committee members objected to some of the cuts and voted unanimously to restore some of the cut items, such as classroom storage space as well as the number of bleacher seats in the gymnasium, and new scoreboards for Pilgrim and Toll Gate.
New cost estimates for the new Toll Gate and Pilgrim High Schools will be presented in January. The cost of construction for the schools had escalated to $387.8 million, $38.7 million more than was originally estimated.
Bates noted the cost of the new Toll Gate and Pilgrim High Schools was “trending downward.”
“As the details continue to be refined, it’s looking better,” Bates said.
“I think there are far too many cuts, to spaces, to fields, to numerous issues,” said Committee member Karen Bachus. “And I call value management a lie because you’re not managing any value for our kids. You’re making things smaller. You’re taking things away. That’s not going to work for this city. It’s a farce.”
“I just don’t see it,” Vice-Chairman David Testa said. “I think you have to look at (the cuts) in great detail to see what exactly it is. One of them is scoreboards. We just replaced those scoreboards about two or three years ago so why would we trash them, just to buy a new one?”
An informational session on the project, including the new high schools cuts, will be held on Jan. 28, 2025, at 6 p.m. at Warwick Veterans Middle School. Construction is set to begin in March 2025, with an estimated move-in date sometime during July through August 2027.
In November 2022, voters approved a $350 million bond to pay for the high schools.
The total cost of Pilgrim had been $175 million. The total cost of Toll Gate was $174.5 million.
Saccoccio and Associates have been working on the design for Toll Gate. Pilgrim will be designed by Saam Architecture.
Committee Chairman Shaun Galligan praised the work of the district’s teachers and staff for the challenges they had to endure during the last 12 months.
“We faced difficult financial situations, infrastructure issues, and even some wacky weather situations. Despite these obstacles, our community and the administration and out staff achieved remarkable milestones. Our students made significant strides with improved performance across many schools. We celebrated numerous grants awarded to our district, highlighting our commitment to growth and innovation. The construction of our new high schools is progressing, marking a major step forward for our community’s future.”
Galligan honors Bachus’s service during final meeting on School Committee
The meeting was also the last as an elected official for Warwick School Committee member Karen Bachus, who lost her re-election bid Nov. 5, placing third in a four-way race for two at-large seats. Sean Wiggins captured about 30 percent of the vote at 17,809 and David Testa took the runner-up spot with about 26.5 percent, 15,643 votes. Bachus had 21 percent, 12,608 votes and Zach Colon had 20 percent at 12,196 votes.
Galligan recognized Bachus for her 12 years of service on the School Committee.
“It is only fitting that we honor her outstanding contributions and steadfast service. She is not only one of the most tenured school committee members but also one of the longest serving elected officials in our city today. During her time on the committee, Ms. Bachus has taken on numerous leadership roles, including being elected Chair twice and serving as Chair of several key subcommittees. Through her guidance and dedication, she has been instrumental in shaping the direction of our district.”
Full video of the meeting can be accessed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p14HGOLqOko
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Author: Joe Siegel
Joe Siegel is a regular contributing writer for WarwickPost.com. His reporting has appeared in The Sun Chronicle in Attleboro and EDGE.
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