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$85 million bond overwhelmingly rejected by over 70 percent of voters
SOUTH KINGSTOWN â After months of passionate, and at times, contentious debate, community members came out in overwhelming numbers to defeat the school facilities bond.Â
The $85 million plan â a major component of which called for relocating the high school to Curtis Corner â failed to win support from the community.Â
According to unofficial election results, only 1,967 community members supported the bond, compared to the 5,244 community members who were ultimately successful in rejecting it, and preventing the plan from moving forward.Â
The overwhelming defeat was a disappointing blow for those whoâve invested years and countless hours into this vision, but heading into election day, supporters and opponents alike pledged coming together and moving forward as a community.Â
SOUTH KINGSTOWN â In less than two weeks time, community members will have finally answered the question of whether the high school will stay or go, but until then, tensions continue to run high.
The community seems bitterly divided over whether to approve the $85 million plan and relocate the South Kingstown High School to Curtis Corner, or reject it and head back to the drawing board at Columbia Street.Â
Many have already chosen their camps, but for those still on the fence in this debate, both sides make their arguments.Â
When Superintendent Linda Savastano first proposed the idea of relocating the high school to Curtis Corner a year and a half ago, the new site was meant to lend itself better to 21st Century learning spaces, and give the community more of a high school campus.
SOUTH KINGSTOWN â If the school facilities project continued to advance forward, the districtâs architectural firm may likely be left behind.Â
On Tuesday, the South Kingstown School Committee voted to begin the process of sending out a request for proposal for a new architect firm. The facilities project, which includes plans to relocate the high school to Curtis Corner, place an addition on Broad Rock and make improvements at all four elementary schools, will first need to gain approval from the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) and the votes of South Kingstown.Â
And while thereâs a wide array of opinion over whether or not the district should move forward with these plans, there have been a number of voices that have spoken out against continuing with the current architectural firm.Â
SOUTH KINGSTOWN – The Recreation Commission discussed the possibility of the high school relocation and the hospitals land swap proposal on Tuesday night – both of which could displace park