D'Abate Elementary School in Providence getting long-overdue renovations

PROVIDENCE – The late William D’Abate, a longstanding city councilman and state senator, called the school bearing his name “the ticket out” of poverty.

On Wednesday, D'Abate family members were at the Olneyville elementary school to break ground on a $21-million renovation that will include combined arts and science labs, collaborative learning spaces, a separate pre-kindergarten and media center, air-conditioning and an elevator. All told, the overhaul will add 6,000 square feet to the building.

No one was happier than his granddaughter, Julie D’Abate Calise, who was inspired to become a special-education teacher in Providence because of William’s belief in the transformative power of public education.

“This is his legacy,” she said at a ceremony attended by state Treasurer Seth Magaziner, Mayor Jorge Elorza, state education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green and Supt. Javier Montañez, among others. ”They deserve a learning environment that’s clean, safe and ready for 21st-century learning.”

More: $300-million bond to rebuild Rhode Island's public schools is before the General Assembly

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School timeworn, but its people shine

D’Abate is considered the jewel of Olneyville, thanks to the principal, Brent Kermen, whose longevity is a rarity in a district known for its turnover at the top. Kermen is credited not only with retaining a stable teaching force but also recruiting parents to commit to the school’s success.

While the spirit of D’Abate is strong, the building is timeworn and outdated. Several years ago, teachers complained about brown water coming from the kitchen sink, a leaking cafeteria roof and an infestation of mice and roaches.

Now, D’Abate is one of 30 Providence schools to receive major renovations this year.

“I’ve lived much of what our students have lived,” said Montañez, who attended the city’s schools and has been a teacher and principal there for years. “What message do we send when we let students and teachers work in this kind of environment? These kinds of improvements tell students and educators that we care. Students want to learn ... when they have 21st-century buildings.”

Four years ago,  Rhode Island voters approved a $250-million school construction bond to address decades of neglect and what one official called a tidal wave of need.

$300M school bond awaits voters

Now, another bond, this one for $300 million, will go before voters on the November ballot. The bond provides incentives for early-childhood education, career and technical education facilities, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) facilities.

The legislation, sponsored by Magaziner (who is running for Congress), Senators Hanna Gallo and Sandra Cano, and Rep. Brandon Potter, also includes new incentives for energy-efficiency and renewable-energy improvements.

Study finds 50,000 deficiencies in 306 RI schools

In 2017, the state Department of Education commissioned an engineering study that identified more than 50,000 deficiencies across the state’s 306 public school buildings. Magaziner led the state’s School Building Task Force, which brought together educators, experts, and community stakeholders to develop a plan to rebuild Rhode Island’s schools.

So far, the bond has allocated more than $1.7 billion to repair or replace 189 school buildings across 28 districts in Rhode Island.

“For decades, we haven’t invested in our school buildings,” Elorza said Wednesday, recalling a school visit where a bucket was stationed under a leaking roof. “While we should have invested in our schools years ago, we are moving in the right direction now.”

Infante-Green recalled how impressed she was to see an auditorium full of D’Abate families on a broiling hot night several years ago.

'Committed to moving forward'

“Investing in our schools sends a signal to teachers, students and parents that this is a priority for us,” she said. “We’re committed to moving forward with every building in Providence.”

While the renovations are underway, D’Abate students and staff will be relocated to Lauro Elementary School on Kenyon Street for the upcoming school year. D’Abate students who live more than a mile away from Lauro will be bused.

For more information on school construction in Providence, go to the school capital-projects page at https://express.adobe.com/page/FYBdXmuZKx2iF/.

Linda Borg covers education for The Journal.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: D'Abate Elementary School in Providence to get long-overdue renovations