Is The Rhode Island Department of Education Blocking Critical Safety Repairs at Shea High School? Joanne Bonollo-Pawtucket School Board Speaks Out — Space Heaters/Electrical Issues: Pawtucket Shea High Crisis Continues!

Space Heaters In Classrooms … Structural Issues … Electrical Issues … in a Pawtucket High School? The Coalition’s Pat Ford is working to establish just who decided, despite a 2018 City of Pawtucket multi-million dollar school repair bond issue, to delay critical safety repairs at Shea High School. So severe, in fact, that NEASC Accreditation Agency has issued a formal Warning Notice. Money for a Soccer Stadium, but none for a school forced to choose between space heaters and computers?

So, Just Where Are We? An Emerging Timeline

The bottom line? In order to take advantage of the bonding approval from 2018, and meet the deadline by NEASC, the latest request for approval by RIDE, for which there is only a February window, needs to be submitted immediately. Is the Grebien Administration blocking this? A letter was authorized by the Pawtucket School Committee at the latest meeting. The remediation of Shea High School must be materially complete by October of 2023. Anything less than this may result in a loss of accreditation of Shea High School.

A Disaster for Students, The Pawtucket School District, and Taxpayers.

An Emerging Timeline – A Work In Progress

11/06/18: Pawtucket Passes $220 Million Dollar Bond Issue Targeted at School Renovations

Letter From Pawtucket School District Formally Notifying The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE): Intent to Close Shea High School for Two Year Repair

Letter From RIDE Denying Shea High School Closure

11/21/22: New England Association of Schools & Colleges Formally Places Pawtucket’s Shea High School on Accreditation Warning Status

12/13/22: Pawtucket Board of Education Meets: Votes Down Immediate Repairs To Shea-Instead Issues Letter to Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien requesting a resubmission to RIDE.

02/23: Deadline for Approval by RIDE For Shea High School Remediation

10/01/23: Due Date-NEASC Special Progress Report on High School Building Project/Actions Taken to Remediate the Current Deficiencies of Shea HS

04/28/24: Decennial Accreditation Visit By NEASC