Here’s everything to know about the construction, per RISD Assistant Superintendent Sandra Hayes.
Mohawk Elementary School
Recently finished, Mohawk Elementary School’s $15.5 million renovations included expanding its cafeteria, converting its old gym into a library and building a new gym. The school also received new classroom finishes and updated office space. Major renovations were finished by the end of the 2022-23 school year, with minor changes continuing through the summer.
Lake Highlands Junior High School
As RISD continues the process of moving to a middle school model, Lake Highlands Junior High School is being rebuilt as a new middle school campus with a budget of $81.1 million. Hayes said the existing school building could not be renovated without paying more than it was worth, so district officials opted to build an entirely new school next to it. Demolition of the existing building is planned for fall 2024. The new campus is expected to host grades 6-8 starting in August 2024.
Forest Meadow Junior High School
Like Lake Highlands Junior High, Forest Meadow Junior High School is part of the district’s new middle school model. The building, built in 1967, was in good enough condition to renovate into a middle school without replacing it, Hayes said. With a $49.9 million construction budget, the campus will gain increased square footage; a new facade; and new floors, lighting, paint, ceilings, and office and classroom furniture. It is expected to host grades 6-8 starting in August 2024.
Pearce High School
Renovations at Pearce High School are being made to accommodate for the school’s growth. When the $122.3 million project started, 27 teachers were floating without classrooms, and several teachers have since been relocated to portable classrooms to accommodate construction, Hayes said. The school’s auditorium is gaining a wheelchair lift to make it accessible according to the Americans with Disabilities Act. The school is also getting new main halls, open space and a modernized cafeteria. Construction is expected to be completed in time for the 2024-25 school year.
Brentfield Elementary School
Brentfield Elementary School was built as two separate buildings on the same site in 1974 and 1980, but only one of them has a cafeteria kitchen. As part of the district’s safety plan, the two buildings needed to be connected, Hayes said, so food wouldn’t need to be taken back and forth between the buildings. With a $24.8 million construction budget, the campus got a new cafeteria between the buildings to serve as the connector, plus a new front entrance to solidify the construction as one fluid building. In addition, it gained new classrooms and an additional gym to accommodate the school’s growth. Construction will be mostly complete in August, with minor changes throughout the fall.
