Long-Range Bond Planning

Through the work of the bond steering committee, RISD administration and board of trustees, there are two related elements to the district’s long-range bond plans:

• RISD’s transformation of existing junior highs into middle schools to accommodate the transition of sixth graders into a middle school model is expected to span two bonds, the 2021 bond and 2026 bond. Based on the condition of the different aging campuses, some junior highs will be replaced while others will be renovated. Because of the poor condition of Lake Highlands JH, the middle school model would initially occur in the Lake Highlands learning community as a result of the 2021 bond, while the junior highs in RISD’s other three learning communities would be replaced or renovated to accommodate the transition to middle schools as a result of a 2026 bond.
• Most of RISD’s schools were built between 1952 and 1980. While periodic renovations, maintenance, and system replacements have occurred over the decades, the condition of many campuses has reached — or is projected to reach — the point where replacement or major retrofitting are less expensive than the ongoing repair and replacement of failing systems. A facilities condition assessment was conducted in 2020. The results were used as one data point in helping to determine RISD’s long-range planning for replacement or retrofitting of its aging schools. This effort is anticipated to span the next 20 years over four bond cycles: 2021, 2026, 2031 and 2036. At the conclusion, all RISD schools are projected to be able to accommodate students for decades to come.