The North Kingstown School Committee held a special meeting on December 15, 2025, at 5:45 PM in Town Hall Council Chambers. The meeting opened with a moment of silence and remarks from Chair Robert Case regarding a recent school-related tragedy in the state, acknowledging the impact on students and staff. The committee then proceeded to the Pledge of Allegiance, roll call, and new business. No citizen comments were made. The agenda listed only one new business item (Approval of Construction Manager at Risk RFP), but the committee also discussed a preliminary budget presentation in preparation for a joint meeting with the Town Council later that evening—a discrepancy noted between the agenda and the transcript.
I will call the North Kingstown School Committee special meeting to order. Before we get started, I did want to acknowledge the weight of this day and this moment. This weekend, our state experienced a tragic act of violence at a school. Well, it did not occur in our district. It unfortunately impacted us directly. Some of our students and staff nearby the incident were placed in lockdown. Families waited for word, fearing the worst, and the fear was real, and it does not simply disappear. In addition to serving as board chair, I also work at a college here in our state. In the days since this tragedy, I have felt along with colleagues at K-12 schools, universities, and colleges, the deep sense of vulnerability that touches every educational institution when something like this happens. Tonight we grieve for the victim and families whose lives have been forever changed. We also acknowledge our own students, educators, and staff who experienced fear simply by being close to danger. No child should have to wonder if they are safe at school or a school event, and no families should have to wait for reassurance of their loved ones are okay. I wanted to thank our students for their resilience, our staff for their professionalism and care, our families for their trust during these incredibly difficult time. I also wanted to acknowledge our teachers, bus drivers, administrators, counselors, and first responders for their compassionate response. Lastly, I want to acknowledge that for many families, my own including sending these children to school today came with an added layer of anxiety and worry. As we move forward in this work of educating students, we must continue to be mindful of the responsibility we carry and our commitment to safety, well-being, and dignity of every learner in our care. Before we do the Pledge of Allegiance, please join me in a moment of silence for all those affected this weekend. Okay, thank you. Next on the agenda is the Pledge of Allegiance. Okay, roll call, please. Robert Case. Jennifer Lima. Megan Riley. Sherry Kennedy. Yeah. Joshua Fortle. Sadie McCann. Okay. Uh citizens' comments. No citizens' comments. Okay, thank you. Um so we're gonna move on to new business. Um the first item on the agenda is approval for construction manager at risk RFP. Can I get a motion for this item? I'll make a motion to approve. Second. Okay. And then discussion, Dr. Duva. Yes, thank you. Um this evening uh we have Sam who is our OPM from Peregrine, and um he is just going to share the uh process, brief process with you and how we came to the recommendation of the construction manager at risk. Thank you, Superintendent, uh members of the school committee. Great to be before you this evening. I believe you have a lot of information in your packet. Uh I'll just give you the high level. Uh there is a memo regarding the uh summary of the overall process. Um in mid-to-late October, the school district issued an RFP for construction manager at risk services to support the new Wickford Middle School. Uh on November 12th, we received six uh submissions uh for that uh in response to that request. Uh the firms were Consigli, Dimeo, uh DOC, Gilbane, ONG, and Shaumet. Um receipt of those, a uh review committee was formed uh that included uh the superintendent, uh the town manager, uh, one member of your building advisory committee, Mr.