Life Expectancy of Local High School Buildings

July 20, 2020

As an advocate for school regionalization since 2009, I have listened to both sides of the issue as it relates to expanded educational opportunities, administration, staffing, transportation, location, facilities, financial management, etc., you name it.

At this time of Covid, however, it seems that issues related to the economy have risen to the top of the list. School budgets across the country are imperiled because of reductions in tax revenues, not to mention the increased costs of ensuring health and safety.

I would argue that, in spite of the costs of a bond, regionalizing the schools makes sense because of potential reductions if only in the economy of scale resulting from a single high school facility as opposed to two separate facilities and the maintenance of two sites past their 30 year anticipated life span.

Sometimes a little history makes an existing situation more understandable.

Did you know that Rogers High School opened at its current site on Wickham Rd. in 1957? Or that the Career & Technical School opened in 1968? Or that Middletown High School opened in 1961?  In terms of the expected life cycle, that makes RHS 63 years old, the Career & Technical School 52 years old, and MHS 59 years old?

So is it any wonder that buildings sustaining exposure to New England weather and heavy-duty use by hundreds of students every year are in poor condition in spite of constant and costly maintenance?

Putting aside all the educational issues, I commend Newport for attempting to address the needs of a 63 year old facility although their rush to solve the problem by rebuilding at the current site seems foolhardy when they would still incur substantial costs transporting the majority of their students who live at the other end of the city.  

In regard to Middletown, is it really cost-efficient to continue to pour funds into a 59 year old building whose 5 year life cycle in 2017 was anticipated to cost millions of dollars for repairs?

I suggest that those trying to justify patchwork take a look at the September 2017 State of Rhode Island Schoolhouses Report.

And then ask yourself:  Is it really better that we go our separate ways or – as is currently the theme – We do better together?

Middl Town Council Presentation June 22, 2020

One year ago in June, representatives from Newport, supported by a roomful of Middletown residents, requested that the Middletown Town Council agree to begin discussions about school regionalization.  The TC refused to discuss the issue.

A month later, in July, the issue was resurrected with even more resident support, and the TC refused.

Beginning in September, a committee was formed in another effort to convince the TC that there was support throughout the town for discussions. A petition was developed, substantial number of signatures were collected, and the petition was presented to the TC in January asking again for discussions. The TC declined.

Undeterred, CESU (Citizens for Exploring School Unification) formulated a petition that included an Ordinance as required under the Town Charter in an effort to initiate discussions that would result in a proposal. 

Several drafts were reviewed, and a final draft was sent to 2 separate local attorneys for advice, both of whom possessing specific knowledge and understanding of the requirements under the Town Charter.

Eventually one of them connected directly with the current Town Solicitor who reviewed the proposed Petition and Ordinance, made a few edits, and returned the final copy to one of the attorneys who then forwarded it to me as the final version.

Using that final version, CESU began collecting signatures. They used every opportunity to connect with people, collecting signatures one-by-one, even going door-to-door.

Then the virus hit and personal contact was forbidden so they used other strategies to collect the signatures, including costly mailers and setting up areas in open spaces - to protect both themselves and the public - near businesses who gave them permission.

Over a 6 month period, they collected the signatures of the required 10% of the voters and they submitted the petition to the TC for 2 Public Hearings.

Now, however, the Town Solicitor – the same person who wrote the final version as related to the Town Charter and sent it to the attorney who was helping CESU -  has declared that the process is flawed and cannot go forward as was previously scripted by his own hand.

In spite of the above circumstances, it would seem ethical and honorable at this time to recognize that almost 1200 voters petitioned the TC to form a study committee for discussion with Newport and to identify representatives.

Therefore, I make a motion that the TC approve joint discussions with Newport in a study committee focused on potential school regionalization and appoint 2 members of the TC and one member of the SC as representatives.

The Town Council disregarded the 1183 Middletown petitioners and defeated the motion 6 to 1.

Middl School Comm Presentation Jan.23, 2020

Good evening.    Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you tonight.

I am not here as a Town Councilor but rather as an advisor to CESU to share with you a relevant topic of discussion regarding the future education of the children of Middletown and Newport.

I have sat in your seats – as a parent of Middletown students, as a teacher of Middletown students, as an administrator in 3 states, and as a Middletown School Committee member so, more than most, I understand the heavy burden you bear.

When voters elect public servants to office, they expect us to separate our personal feelings and interests from the equation and manage the governing responsibility like a business. So S.C. members are charged with providing physical structures and educational umbrellas that are intended – theoretically – to provide the best education   possible for students. We believe that you are committed to doing that.           

Unfortunately, moving from the role of parent and teacher to overseer sometimes changes the equation         so that, in the commitment to provide what we regard as the best we can offer, we lose sight of the future needs of the students in our care.

We are not here to talk about the facilities, which you are doing your best to maintain while their natural aging requires increasingly more resources.

We are not here to talk about the abysmal test scores that should not be laid at the door of teachers but, in many ways, are the result of inconsistent state standards and mandates. Teachers will do what the administration expects them to do, and administrators will comply with state requirements.

But you are the watchdogs of the organization, and you must go beyond educational structures and requirements to address the needs of your students – ALL your students – in order to prepare them – ALL of them – for an uncertain future.

Most of you know that I have personally been an advocate for school district unification since 2009.     Having spent 6 years in MA immediately after Ed Reform, including 2 years as a Curriculum Director in one regional district and 4 years as the Deputy Superintendent of the largest regional school district in MA, I know what effective state standards look like and what a good high school provides for its students.

I also know that the number of programs a high school can provide is largely dependent on its enrollment.    The money will only go so far and, when push comes to shove, you set priorities. Having been a teacher at Middletown High School for 18 years in the 70’s and 80’s – when the enrollment was twice what it is now - I know what a good high school can provide for its students – ALL of its students – something that I do not believe is happening now.

CESU commends you for providing high quality programs for your college bound students.    We expect that their test scores are also commendable.  However, not all your students will go to college. Some do not have the resources;   some have not yet developed the maturity to know what they want to do; some are more suited to a hands-on approach.

The point is that their lack of interest in going to college doesn’t make them any less worthy of good preparation for self-sufficient lives. You have an obligation to provide an education for ALL the students so that they can be productive citizens and ensure that this town maintains the same quality of life of those who came before them, and you can’t do it without making a leap into the future, because more money alone – and you are limited in those prospects – will not solve the problem of inadequate preparation of ALL your students.

The future of local employment is uncertain.  However, considering the absence of affordable housing, it is unlikely that high-paying jobs will be abundantly available on Aquidneck Island for the college-bound students you are providing with the most options.    

What will always be available are the jobs that provide the foundation structure for any community – and what is most needed now in Middletown AND in Newport –    are the hands-on workers who build your houses, repair your plumbing, fix your car, maintain your roads, prepare your meal at a local restaurant, and provide all the services that make your lives easier and better.      These are the students who are not getting the attention they need – and the inadequacy of their education – not money – is the cause of this failure.

As a professional educator who relies on logic and data, let me provide evidence to support the need for you to consider a new pathway.

 A recent press release said that the Quonset Development Corporation in North Kingstown – close enough for a commute - says that the companies there have 250 open jobs. At least half of the current listed postings require only a high school diploma or its equivalency.

 Locally, one of this area’s daily online newsletters recently advertised, and I quote, “Now Hiring: 90 plus local job opportunities that are available right now.”     A review of the employment opportunities listed included 47 jobs – more than 50% - that do not require a college education. What they do require is a high school diploma or equivalency, a good work ethic, and some experience with hands-on work.

 However, future employees are not granted the opportunities for work-related experiences in school that would enable them to fill these positions or, if they are lucky enough to get hired, to actually be successful. They need what you can’t provide – within the current system. You could do it before. You can do it again if you will open your minds to the possibilities.

We ask you to look at the numbers. Middletown provides 3 sequential programs – primarily aimed at the college bound.   Newport provides 10 programs, primarily aimed at the hands-on worker. Combined, they could provide 13 different programs that would serve the needs of ALL types of students in BOTH of the schools. 

Compare that to other schools. Portsmouth High School has a larger enrollment, but it only provides 4 programs – again aimed at the college bound while Chariho Regional High School, with a larger enrollment, offers 13 programs that service students of ALL interests.

Compare this data to academically successful MA schools with even larger and more varied enrollments. They provide between 10 and 13 programs for students of ALL interests.

So what does this tell us?  That 10-13 is the desirable number of sequential programs for a good high school to offer to ALL students, and sufficient enrollment makes those schools able to do so.

This is just a brief picture of one benefit of unification for students. There are many others, but this one is my passion because it could have a major impact on maintaining the quality of life of this community.

 If the balance for you – in your roles as School Committee members -  is on the side of the education of ALL your students, we ask you to consider the possibilities.