With assistance from the School Building Authority Advisory Board, the School Building Authority will ensure that all approved projects provide high quality learning environments, conserve natural resources, consume less energy, are easier to maintain, and provide educationally appropriate school facilities. This includes overseeing and managing two distinct funding mechanisms for school facilities: the Housing Aid Program and the School Building Authority Capital Fund. The School Building Authority will continue to provide assistance as schools and districts undertake the multi-stage Necessity of School Construction Application to identify school facilities’ needs across the schools and districts buildings.
Build Upon What Works
These changes to the oversight and management of school construction are building on the solid foundation of work undertaken by the General Assembly, the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education, and the RI Department of Education. The School Construction Program, through the oversight of the School Construction Regulations, has set in place fiscal prudence and effective planning practices that have substantially reduced school construction approvals.
Districts will continue to complete the Necessity of School Construction application – to ensures that all approved projects provide high quality learning environments – and will continue to receive reimbursement based on their share ratios (reimbursement rates) for completed projects. Projects not funded through the School Building Authority Capital Fund will still be eligible under the existing Housing Aid System.
Additional Information