It was not that long ago that students from Classical High, along with other Providence, R.I., high schools, rallied at the State House to demand sweeping renovations to the district's crumbling buildings, some of which dated back the turn of the 20th century.
Opened in 1970, Classical High School, like so many found in the state, has suffered from decades of neglect. Buckets in the hallways on rainy days were a common sight. Ceiling tiles occasionally dropped to the floor, and the bathrooms were odiferous.
But, due to a multi-million state school bond approved by voters in 2018, that is now about to change.
Project to Bring Learning into Light
The Providence Journal reported recently that Classical, one of the top-performing high schools in the country, is set to embark on a $34 million renovation to transform the cramped, dark and dated facility into a modern learning center.
The first phase, costing $4.5 million, has already gotten under way as the former first-floor library and locker room now offer "swing space" to allow construction to begin on the upper floor.
Although a completion date for Classical High's renovation project has not yet been announced, the design of the multi-year project is geared toward enhancing the learning experience for students.
For instance, a new media center with soft furniture is planned so that students can work on their laptops. Small tables in the space will allow for pairs of students to work collaboratively using more technology and fewer books.
Similar to a modern college library, Classical High will include couches and inviting color schemes, lots of natural light, and will train teachers to serve more as facilitators than traditional instructors standing in front of a row of desks.
"Learning can happen anywhere," Joseph DeSanti, the project manager of Downes Construction Co., New Britain, Conn., told the Journal. "Some students prefer to sit on a couch. Some will sit with other students at a table. It's all about collaboration."
Classical, a selective school where students test to be admitted, also will sport a new nurse's suite, a new girls' locker room, and a secure entrance — a separate vestibule where visitors must be buzzed into the building.
The high school also will become more welcoming to special-education students. Plans call for a special-education suite with bathrooms fully accessible to people with disabilities, a life-skills room and more spacious classrooms to accommodate wheelchairs.
"Inclusion is very important," said Philip Conte, an architect and president of StudioJAED, the Providence firm behind the school's design.
Rhode Island Dedicated to Upgrading All Its Schools
The Providence news source reported in late July, Mayor Jorge O. Elorza and the Providence City Council agreed on a $125 million school bond referendum to continue much-needed improvements in school infrastructure. The measure will now go before city voters in November.
Elorza called it a down payment on the community's future and an investment that will last.
"Providence's investment in school facilities over the past several years has gone a long way toward bringing our buildings into the 21st century," explained Providence Public Schools Superintendent Javier Montañez. "The many improvement projects under way are exciting for our staff, our students and our community. But we're fixing decades of neglect in our schools, and more needs to be done. This bond proposal is an important next step in building the district our students deserve."
On the state level, another bond referendum, this one for $300 million, also will go before voters on the November ballot. It is created to provide incentives for early-childhood education, career and technical education facilities, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) facilities.
"This sends a message that we care about our students," added Rhode Island Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green. "If the next [statewide school construction] bond is passed, that will add up to a $500 million investment in our schools. Every brick we build is about raising our expectations."
The Journal noted that the legislation, sponsored by Rhode Island Treasurer Seth Magaziner, state Senators Hanna Gallo and Sandra Cano, and Rep. Brandon Potter, also includes new incentives for energy-efficiency and renewable-energy improvements.
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