Frequently asked questions...

Do we really need a new middle school?

Wickford Middle School is 95 years old and Davisville Middle School is more than 60 years old. Virtually everyone in the community is in agreement that North Kingstown needs a new middle school. 

Why is North Kingstown having an election about this bond in an off-election year?

To save money. We have a one-time opportunity that will expire next year to receive up to an additional $33,000,000 in state aid for entering into a contract to construct a new middle school by June 30, 2024. 

Will the cost go down if we wait?

Absolutely not. Not only will we lose access to the state’s one time incentives, but according to the Associated General Contractors’ the construction industry’s annual inflation rate has been 11.2% for the past 3 years.

Industry costs “continue to climb at a much higher rate than the consumer price index, the most commonly cited measure of inflation.” https://www.agc.org/sites/default/files/users/user21902/Construction%20Inflation%20Alert%20Dec%202022_V4.pdf
Accordingly, there is no doubt that the longer we wait the more expensive these projects will be. 

Aren’t there too many unknowns at this point to move forward?

No. This is how the process is supposed to work. The town council and/or school committee develop conceptual plans. If the voters approve those conceptual plans, then town will spend the monies needed to allow the professionals the town hires to fully develop plans. However, before anything is approved it will be fully vetted by the public and the elected bodies our community.

What type of a tax increase this bond would cause?

It is way too early to tell. Remember, that we are only asking the taxpayers to authorize the town council to borrow these amounts. There is a public process to go through to determine the ultimate amount, which could be far less. Considering that our town will soon be retiring quite a bit of previous bond debt (including the high school), the ultimate impact on the tax rate is likely to be much lower than anticipated.

Do you know the exact project cost?

That will be finalized when the project drawings are finalized and approved by the state department of education. Regardless, the taxpayers should know that whatever the final number is it will certainly be millions of dollars more than if we postpone this because the one time state bonuses expire next year.

Why not just retrofit and invest in our existing facilities?

Because these very old buildings have latent or unknown defects that will have to be taken care of on a regular basis. Many of these defects could include asbestos or other hazardous materials to our children. This will ultimately cost the taxpayers more money while getting millions less in reimbursement from the state. Moreover, these facilities do not now confirm current state education learning standards. This will affect our community’s ability to give our children the same educational opportunities that other communities are now giving their children, and ultimately that will adversely affect our property values.

This bond referenda for the new middle school and public safety complex should be two questions instead of one.

That was a decision of the town council. Regardless, there is absolutely no evidence that have two questions will make these much-needed projects any less expensive.