Toll Gate Plan OK’d, LGBTQ Policy Discussed

WARWICK, RI — The Warwick School Committee approved the new Toll Gate plan for the Stage 3 schematic design, and heard criticism of the district’s LGBTQ policy from a Westerly man Sept. 11.

Toll Gate Plan Discussed, Approved

Committee Chairman Shaun Galligan raised concerns about the security of the proposed outdoor commons area in the Toll Gate Plan.

“Nothing’s going to be foolproof but I think everyone involved is going to do their damnedest to make sure it’s the safest, most secure building we can have,” said Committee Vice Chair David Testa. “It will just be a balance. I trust the creativity of the teams on each school.”

Chris Spiegel, the spokesman for Left Field Project Management, noted that RIDE was funding 50 percent of the project. 

Spiegel assured the Committee that the district would get everything they wanted on the Toll Gate plan “base design.”

The board voted to accept the design.

Pilgrim Project ‘On budget’

Pilgrim is shaping up to be less costly than anticipated, due to updates to the desig, Spiegel said. He did not disclose how much the project would save.

“It’s substantially on budget,” he said. 

Spiegel assured the Committee that the district would get everything they wanted on the “base design.”

“It’s going to be very rough but we’re still working towards it,” Spiegel noted.

An informational session on the $350 million project was held at last month’s School Committee meeting. Spiegel presented a breakdown of expenses, including $280 million for building construction, site work, and demolition.

About $42 million of the project is designated for “soft costs,” including architectural and engineering services, furniture, and other materials. Spiegel noted $28 million has been reserved for contingency, funds which are used to protect the project from cost overruns.

Groundbreaking is slated to begin in March 2025.

LGBTQ Policy Scores Westerly Protest

Westerly resident Robert Chiaradio attended the meeting, the latest in his one-person campaign opposing trans protections before every school committee in Rhode Island. Details of his efforts have been documented by Steve Alquist on his Substack reports. He addressed his concerns during public comment, as the policy was not part of the meeting’s agenda.

Chiaradio’s efforts were opposed by speakers supporting students’ rights to protections under federal law binding schools using federal funding, including Warwick Public Schools.

The district’s policy states: “The Warwick School Committee is committed to ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment for all students.  It is committed to ensuring that all educational professionals and other school staff be supportive role models and strong advocates for the safety and well-being of students.  All students need a safe and supportive school environment to progress academically and developmentally.  Therefore, this policy shall:

• Foster an educational environment that is safe and free from discrimination for all students, regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression; 
• Ensure compliance with state and federal law concerning bullying, harassment, and discrimination; 
• Reduce the stigmatization of and improve educational integration of transgender and gender nonconforming students, maintain the privacy of all students, and foster cultural competence and professional development for school staff; and 
• Support healthy communication between educators and parent(s)/guardian(s) to further the successful educational development and well-being of every student.

RIDE’s Guidance for Rhode Island Schools on Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students notes that Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 specifically prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program that receives federal funding. That includes public and private elementary and secondary schools, school districts, colleges, and universities receiving any federal financial assistance must comply with Title IX.

The guidance also notes that under Title IX,  students may access the restroom, locker room, and changing facility that correspond to the their gender identity. While students should be provided with a safe, non-stigmatizing alternative to a gender-segregated facility on request, such as a privacy curtain, access to a private restroom or separate changing schedule, that should only be done if requested.

“Under no circumstances may students be required to use sex-segregated facilities that are inconsistent with their gender identity. Some students may feel uncomfortable with a transgender student using the same sex-segregated restroom, locker room or changing facility. This discomfort is not a reason to deny access to the transgender student,” the guidance continues.

Chiaradio said it was “hypocritical and cowardly” for the district to require students use the same bathrooms and locker rooms as members of the opposite sex. 

“Biological boys using the same bathrooms and locker rooms as girls, rooming with girls on overnight field trips, competing with and against girls athletically, compelling teachers to use pronouns of the student’s choice. This policy discriminates against 99 percent of this district’s kids,” Chiaradio continued.

Galligan said the district would work to ensure the needs of all students are respected.

“Though we have no documented instances of a student feeling uncomfortable about the restrooms/locker rooms relative to this policy, our school district would address each situation, to ensure those who felt uncomfortable were provided reasonable accommodations, while maintaining an inclusive environment,”  Galligan said after the meeting.

Eve Condon, a Warwick resident and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, spoke in favor of RIDE’s policy.

“I am urging you to uphold those policies,” Condon said. “The things (Carradeo) has to say about gender affirming care are blatantly untrue. (The policies) work and they save lives.”

“Those policies are in place to protect our children,” said Rebecca Malone, a school psychologist. “If we did not have those policies in place, students who belong to the LGBTQ community or are transgender or non-binary they would be subjected to a lot of discrimination and we are looking to eliminate that in the schools.”

The meeting stream recording can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISUz60IB2nw&t=14391s