Sports
Davisville El to Reopen in the Fall?
North Kingstown's superintendent has a proposal that would reopen the closed school this fall, gaining revenue from a public charter school.
Superintendent Phil Auger has an idea for Davisville Elementary School that could see it reopen as soon as this fall as a combined-use building, which could save the district hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Under the plan, roughly two-thirds of the building would house the Greene School — a public charter high school dedicated to community and the environment. According to Auger, the school would have about 168 students and between 20 and 25 staff members.
The rest of the building would be dedicated to programs, such as NK KIN-Nect Preschool, Child Opportunity Zone, Parents as Teachers, adult education classes and other programs. A special education transition program aimed at helping students adjust to life after high school would also be housed in the building, which would incur savings for the district.
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“Right now we’re spending quite a bit of money to outsource this,” said Auger.
Night meetings for community organizations could also be held at the building when school is not in session, Auger said. Additionally, Auger says the kitchen area is being considered for cooking classes.
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Part of the school grounds would become a community garden. Healthy Places by Design, a project geared toward creating goals and recommendations for a healthier community to be included in next year’s comprehensive plan for the town, named Davisville Elementary School as an “ideal” spot for such a garden. According to Auger, the garden would be maintained through a partnership of Davisville residents and students from the Greene School and NKSD programs.
The conversion of the building from an elementary school to a combined-use facility wouldn’t add costs to the budget but would actually save the school department almost $100,000 in the first year alone, said Auger, as the district would stand to gain almost $110,000 in revenue from the charter school. He also added that following years would see subsequent savings.
“This could really help to save other programs on the chopping block this year,” said Auger.
Representatives from the Greene School were on hand last week as Auger presented the proposal to Davisville residents concerned with the future of the school, which closed in 2010 due to declining enrollment. The group assured residents in the area that they would “be good neighbors,” Auger said.
“It’s a very much a respectful group of kids who are incredibly close,” said Paul Morse, a member of the school’s board of directors.
The Greene School’s students come from 17 districts across the state, including some from North Kingstown and Jamestown. The school, currently in its third year, also partners with the Audubon Society and the University of Rhode Island.
According to Morse, Davisville Elementary School would serve as a “temporary space” as the school is working to build a state-of-the-art facility on five acres of land at URI’s W. Alton Jones campus.
Auger will present his proposal to the North Kingstown School Committee Tuesday night.
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