Construction Beginning For New Rogers High School In Newport

NEWPORT, RI — Newport school officials will host a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday to mark the start of construction of the new Rogers High School.

The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. and will begin with a speaking portion inside the Rogers High School auditorium, before proceeding outside for the groundbreaking.

"Families, friends, and students are all invited to attend," Superintendent Colleen Burns said in a statement. "We would love to see our Newport families, students, and teachers in the audience, and our students join us in breaking ground. Thank you in advance to our partners for providing refreshments including Del’s Lemonade, Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream and our own NACTC culinary treats. We are looking forward to seeing you at the groundbreaking!"

School officials asked those that wish to attend the ceremony to use Windham Road for parking and building access.

The funding for the new high school, as well as an addition to the Claiborne Pell Elementary School, came from a $98.5 million bond from the Rhode Island Health and Educational Building Corporation.

The new school is expected to address security issues. School officials said the current school has 77 doors, making it a huge safety issue. Other issues with the existing school include leaks in classrooms and hallways, a lack of energy efficiency and a lack of support for needs for modern teaching.