Using the current project phasing, the Town of Barrington’s Bond Counsel has outlined a funding strategy that will use Bond Application Notes to reduce the initial tax impact on residents and provide increased flexibility to begin project work without locking in an interest rate in today’s market.
Bond interest will not impact Barrington until 2026, which means that Barrington residents will not need to vote on a tax cap exception until the May 2026 Financial Town Meeting (FTM).
This work meets the RIDE requirement for an updated facilities plan. The construction project will allow the District to provide infrastructure that supports enrollment increases, addresses the critical shortage of space for key programming, and paves the way for a 21st century curriculum. It will address the school buildings’ space, safety, and security deficits and allow educators in Barrington to deliver the highest quality instruction to students in a safe, secure, and supportive environment.
Barrington Public Schools is an exemplary district, where amazing things happen every day inside of our schools. The school buildings in Barrington are aging and are experiencing space, security, and safety deficits. With enrollment expected to increase 8.5% over the next decade, Barrington school buildings do not have enough space to meet the demand in projected enrollment.
Elementary buildings are already at or beyond capacity and have limited flexible space. While modular units are currently being used to support the enrollment increases, they are a temporary solution to this challenge. Elementary buildings also need important security updates like entrance vestibules and improved intercom systems to maintain the safety of all students and staff.
The High School also needs long-delayed help with its roof, but the needs reach deeper across the two different “stages” of its growth. The original systems the High School is currently operating on don’t have the capacity to support the entire building and the increasing need for technology throughout the curriculum.
Additionally, all school buildings, except for the Middle School, need updated and improved fire safety systems.
The Barrington School Building Committee has been hard at work collaborating with Downes Construction Company and Tecton Architects to understand the facilities challenges at each of the District’s schools, seek and incorporate community feedback on priorities and goals, and develop a plan for the future.
Following a series of community meetings in September and October, the School Committee voted 5-0 on October 19, 2023, to select a preferred project option that incorporates community priorities and feedback and addresses the space, security, and safety deficits in Barrington’s school buildings.
“Option 5,” the selected project option, will consolidate Barrington’s elementary schools to three PK-5 neighborhood schools, reduce the number of building transitions for students, expand learning space at all District schools (minus the Middle School) with new and renovated facilities, and provide a twenty-first century learning environment that fosters collaboration and enhanced teaching and learning opportunities. This plan reflects an investment in both Barrington’s educational infrastructure and the community’s educational future. Click here to learn more about Option 5.
On November 7, 2023, Barrington residents voted to approve a ballot question authorizing a bond for school construction. Click here to read the Committee’s message to voters.
With the support of Downes and Tecton, the Building Committee submitted Stage II of its Necessity of School Construction application to the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) in early February 2024. While awaiting RIDE’s final approval of Stage II, which is expected to happen in May 2024, the Building Committee and project partners remain in ongoing communication with RIDE officials.
Stage II Submission
Stage II applications were due to the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) on February 15, 2024. The Barrington School Building Committee and Tecton Architects met this deadline. While awaiting RIDE’s approval of Stage II, the Building Committee and its project partners are making preparations for pre-construction work on critical infrastructure areas to begin in Summer 2024.
SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION/IMPROVEMENTS BOND NO MORE THAN $250,000,000
(Local Act No. 038/H6404 & Local Act No. 039/S0980 — Local Acts 2023)
Shall the Town of Barrington finance the construction, improvement, renovation, alteration, furnishing and equipping of public school facilities in the Town and all expenses incident thereto including, but not limited to, costs of design, athletic fields, playgrounds, landscaping, parking and costs of financing by the issuance of not more than $250,000,000 bonds and/or notes therefor, subject to approval of State housing aid at a reimbursement rate or State share ratio of not less than 35 percent at the time of issuance and provided that the authorization shall be reduced by the amount of certain grants received from State bond proceeds, from the Rhode Island Department of Education or from the Rhode Island School Building Authority?
In the November Special Election, Barrington residents were asked whether or not to authorize a bond for school construction in Barrington. This vote did not include project options. It only decided whether or not to authorize funding for future school construction-related projects in Barrington.
Since Barrington voters chose to approve the bond, a second vote will be required (at the Spring 2024 Financial Town Meeting) per the Barrington Town Charter to exceed the 4% annual tax increase amount as set forth by the State of Rhode Island.
Student enrollment in Barrington is projected to grow over the next decade. Safety, security, and space already present a number of challenges for our elementary and high schools. Stage II of the school building project takes into account this expected growth in Barrington residency and student enrollment by expanding school square footage and efficiently allocating building spaces.
The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) requires all local education agencies (LEAs) to conduct their own census-based demographic study as part of a Stage II application. McKibben Demographic Research completed the most recent population and enrollment forecasts for Barrington in October 2023. Read the report here.
The Barrington Middle School project addressed the needs of a single school and a bond of $68.4 million was approved by Barrington voters at a Financial Town Meeting (FTM). At the end of construction, we were able to capture 47% reimbursement for eligible expenses.
The current project will address needs across the remaining buildings in the district through targeted renovations and new square footage for each building. Given the large-scale nature of this project, bonding will take place strategically according to Barrington’s Town Financial Planner and Bond Council to maximize the reimbursement rate and to optimize payments, thereby reducing the impact on Barrington taxpayers.
Questions About Funding
The Town must issue bonds for the full project cost, less the amount of upfront pay-as you-go funds received from the State. Due to the multistage and multifaceted nature of this project, the Town is likely to stagger the issuance of bonds strategically in order to minimize the tax impact on residents.
“Pay as you go”, also called PAYGO, is State housing aid that is reimbursed upfront rather than on an amortized basis. All communities are eligible to participate in this program as part of their RIDE project approval.
The Town must issue bonds for the full project cost, less the amount of upfront pay-as you-go funds received from the State—the upfront payment approximately 15% of debt service. Pay-as-you-go reduces the amount of bonds that can be issued as approved by Barrington voters.
If the Town chooses to proceed with project costs that are ineligible for state housing aid, the Town will be responsible for paying the costs without state housing aid.
The $250,000,000 approved by state voters in 2018 has been expended/committed. RIDE is able to provide how much of the $250,000,000 approved by state voters in 2022 has been expended/committed. The State also funds housing aid with annual appropriations by the General Assembly. Legally, State reimbursements are not guaranteed, but the State has never failed to meet its housing aid commitments.
Tax Levy Cap — if the projected debt service on the School bonds is expected to cause the Town to exceed the 4% Tax Levy Cap in the first fiscal year of debt service, under RI Gen Laws section 44-5-2, the levy in excess of the cap must be approved by a majority vote of the Barrington financial town meeting (“FTM”) prior to the issuance of the bonds and approval by the Department of Revenue Division of Municipal Finance.
3% Debt Limit Statute — Debt issued under special bond acts is exempt from the 3% Debt Limit (the 3% Debt Limit Statute is not really a debt limit any more). The Town should check with its Financial Advisor regarding the effect on debt ratios that the Rating Agencies review.
The General Assembly must approve the special bond act in order for the school bonds to be eligible for State housing aid. The Department of Revenue’s Division of Municipal Finance must approve any increase in the tax levy above 4% of the levy for the prior fiscal year.
3% Debt Limit Statute — Debt issued under special bond acts is exempt from the 3% Debt Limit (the 3% Debt Limit Statute is not really a debt limit any more). The Town should check with its Financial Advisor regarding the effect on debt ratios that the Rating Agencies review.
Questions About Tax Assessment
The Barrington Tax Assessor and Finance Department use assessed property values to determine a taxpayer’s proportional share (“piece of the pie”) of the Town tax burden.
No. A home’s assessed value in comparison to all other assessed homes in Barrington would determine an increase or decrease in a resident’s proportional share of the tax burden.
The proportional share method of assessing the tax burden means that an increase in the proportional tax burden for some residents will be equally offset by a decrease in the proportional tax burden for others.
Given the large recent increase in market home values, a large increase in assessed home values is expected. To offset this increase, an associated decrease in the tax rate (millage rate) is also expected. The result would bring an increase in total assessed home values in equilibrium with the total tax burden of the town government.
Taxes will not go up from the revaluation. The Town’s tax rate is set at the Financial Town Meeting (FTM), or by a City budgetary process, where voters decide if the tax rate goes up.
Barrington residents will see an increase in their taxes upon issuance of the School Construction Bond. Enter your home’s assessed value on this tax calculator to determine your expected annual increase in taxes.
Questions About Land Use
For a property that was formerly used by a school:
- The first step is the School Committee abandoning the property for school uses for good cause, such as the closing and consolidation of schools, as provided for in R.I. Gen. Laws §16-2-15.
- The second step, per Sec. 1-3-3 of the Barrington Town Charter, requires the Town Council to enact an ordinance for “sale, lease or change in use” of any Town-owned property.
- The third step requires approval of the sale, or lease of more than two years, of property by a vote of the Financial Town Meeting.
No. R.I. Gen. Laws §45-53-10 only provides for the collection of data regarding abandoned schools and provides incentives to encourage the conversion of abandoned schools into affordable housing. It doesn’t do anything to take away the Town’s control over how to dispose of its property and the Town would not be forced by state law to convert any property it owns.
No. If the land is sold or leased for more than two years, then FTM approval is required per the Town Charter.
The Town, theoretically, could develop affordable housing on any property it owned whether it be property on which a school was formerly located or any other Town owned property, which would not require FTM approval. But, if the Town were to convert any property it owned into affordable housing, it would almost certainly require the expenditure of Town funds to accomplish that goal, which would require FTM approval to budget those funds.
The only difference is that the School Committee must first abandon the property as a school for good cause. If the School Committee doesn’t do so, then the property will remain in the exclusive care and control of the School Committee pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-2-15. But, once the School Committee abandons the property as a school, then the Council may dispose of it like any other property pursuant to the process outlined above.
The Council could pass a resolution stating what intends to use the property for, but it wouldn’t bind future Councils. However, if the property is sold to a third party, with Council and FTM approval, the purchaser can be limited in the allowed uses by restrictions recorded on the deed.
Both School Committee controlled property and Town controlled property are all owned by the Town of Barrington, as “school committees . . . are departments of their respective municipalities.” E. Providence Sch. Comm. v. Smith, 896 A.2d 49, 53 (R.I. 2006). The distinction between Town controlled property and School Committee controlled property isn’t ownership. Instead, pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-2-15, “the care and control of all public school buildings and other public school property of the city or town” are vested in the School Committee. Even though the School Committee controls it when used for school purposes, it is still “property of the city or town.” Therefore, so long as the property is used for public school purposes, the School Committee makes decisions regarding that Town-owned property, pursuant to its statutory authority
No. The property is always owned by the Town of Barrington. It is just a question of whether the property is in the care, custody, and control of School Committee or the Town Council, which turns on whether it is being used for public school purposes.
The School Department has care, custody, and control over all Town property that is used for school purposes. Once the use for school purposes ends, then the care, custody, and control falls on the Town Council.
The School Committee and the Town Council could enter an MOA sharing a common understanding about whether the property is or is not going to continue to be used for public school purposes. However, once the property is no longer used for public school purposes, the decision on how to dispose of the former school property would fall to the Council and the FTM, which would not be bound by an MOA with the School Committee, as the School Committee would no longer have any statutory interest in the property once it is no longer used for public school purposes.
Have a question that isn’t answered here?
Send your questions or concerns to construction@barringtonschools.org and you will receive a response via email. Additional frequently asked questions will be added to this page as they are received.