Attendees gather to celebrate the beam raising ceremony for the new Frank D. Spaziano Middle School.
The Providence Public School District (PPSD) has marked a significant milestone with the beam raising ceremony for the new Frank D. Spaziano Middle School. Local dignitaries, including Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green and Mayor Brett Smiley, attended the event. This construction, part of PPSD’s $1 billion facilities improvement plan, emphasizes modernizing the district’s educational infrastructure, ensuring that all students have access to high-quality learning environments by 2030. The project budget is set at $34.5 million, contributing to ongoing improvements across multiple school locations.
Providence, RI – The Providence Public School District (PPSD) celebrated the construction of the new Frank D. Spaziano Middle School with a beam raising ceremony held at Spaziano Elementary School. The event took place at 11 a.m. on Monday morning and was marked by the participation of several local dignitaries, including Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green, Mayor Brett Smiley, and PPSD Superintendent Dr. Javier Montañez.
This ceremony is a significant step in PPSD’s ongoing efforts to enhance educational infrastructure, which includes a commitment to providing modern, high-quality learning environments for all students. The groundbreaking for the middle school occurred in December 2024, and the overall construction project carries a budget of $34.5 million.
The Frank D. Spaziano Middle School is part of a larger vision to ensure that by 2030, every student within the district has access to either new or “like-new” facilities. This ambitious goal is rooted in a broader $1 billion school facilities plan that encompasses multiple construction projects throughout the district.
In addition to the new middle school, PPSD is conducting construction efforts at several other school locations, including the Fogarty PreK-8 campus and the Harry Kizirian PreK-8 School. These projects aim to address the current deficiencies in school facilities and provide improved conditions for students and staff alike.
On the same day as the beam raising, PPSD held a meeting regarding Gilbert Stuart Middle School, which has been closed since June. This school is one of four that have ceased operations since 2022 as part of a $500 million school rebuilding initiative. This initiative emphasizes a “newer and fewer” approach, focusing on rebuilding schools that consolidate grades PreK-8.
The future of Gilbert Stuart is under consideration, with plans to potentially reopen it as a PreK-8 school within a new campus shared with Alfred Lima Elementary School. Community feedback during the meeting indicated a strong preference for renovations over demolition and expressed the desire for a more extensive dual language learning program at the school.
Forms were distributed in both English and Spanish to collect community input on preserving and renovating Gilbert Stuart, with many participants voicing their concerns regarding structural issues. Problems mentioned included necessary repairs to the roof, flooding in the basement, elevator unreliability, and the presence of asbestos, all of which have been recognized in the past by organizations including the Providence Preservation Society, which listed the school on its 2016 “Ten Most Endangered List.”
Attendees at the meeting highlighted the importance of dual language instruction, which is reportedly limited at Gilbert Stuart. Upcoming school board meetings are expected to discuss resolutions pertaining to both the future of Gilbert Stuart and the enhancement of its dual language offerings.
PPSD has set a clear objective to increase the percentage of students attending high-quality schools from 5% to 100% by 2030 as part of its comprehensive facilities plan. The ongoing construction work at Harry Kizirian PreK-8 School, which has dealt with significant issues like roof leaks, fits into this larger context of improving educational infrastructure across the district.
The supportive environment established through events like the beam raising ceremony provides a sense of community and collaboration among stakeholders, further enabling PPSD’s mission to create a nurturing and effective educational landscape for all students.
News Summary Cranston, RI, is introducing its first weekly farmers market at Garden City Center.…
News Summary The Rhode Island State Senate has unanimously passed a bill banning cell phones…
News Summary In a proactive step to safeguard first responders, the North Providence Fire Department…
News Summary Nilda DeSGranges, a beloved North Providence resident, celebrated her 100th birthday on April…
News Summary The Miss Rhode Island Day of Portugal pageant will take place on May…
News Summary The ACLU of Rhode Island has sued the National Endowment for the Arts,…