Portsmouth's $21.4M School Bond: What To Know

PORTSMOUTH, RI — Portsmouth voters will go to the polls Nov. 2 to vote on two special referendum questions. The first, if approved, would allocate more than $20 million to the school district for several major facilities upgrades.

Superintendent Thomas Kenworthy said now is a unique opportunity for Portsmouth. If the bond is passed this fall, the district will be within the timeframe to apply for up to 40 percent reimbursement from the state. That means that several major projects will be completed within just a few years, while Portsmouth taxpayers will only have to foot 60 percent of the bill.

"It's a big focus for us right now," Kenworthy said. "[The bond] makes the best overall sense to improve our schools."

While Portsmouth isn't in need of a whole new school at this time, there are several major health and safety facilities projects that would be included in the $21.4 million bond project, Kenworthy said. These include:

• Bathroom renovations in all four schools, ensuring all facilities are ADA-compliant.
• A new HVAC system in one of the elementary schools, which would include the addition of air conditioning.
• Asbestos abatement
• Roof replacement
• Add an elevator in one elementary school, making it ADA-compliant
• Various site improvement work at Portsmouth High School

The included projects would all need to be completed at some point, anyway, the superintendent said. By including them in the bond, they can all get done quickly rather than slowly budgeting for them over the course of many years, he said.

Kenworthy said the district is committed to getting accurate information about the bond out to the community, to "help voters make the most informed decision." Read more about the bond, financing and more on the district's dedicated school bond website.

Important dates

• Oct. 3: Deadline to register to vote.
• Oct. 12: Deadline to request a mail-in ballot.
• Oct. 13: First day of early, in-person voting, which will take place weekdays at Portsmouth Town Hall.
• Nov. 1: Last day to vote early, in-person.
• Nov. 2: Election day. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Last day to return mail ballots.