Rhode Island Council on Postsecondary Education, on December 11, 2024, during an executive session, received a briefing from Jack Warner, president, Rhode Island College regarding the former Henry Barnard School building site and the process that the college has been following in order to identify a suitable future use for the building. The council voted to approve the college to proceed with the Request for Proposal process as well as a subsequent negotiation of a potential lease for a building, subject to further approval by the council.
Recently, as was reported in 2023, Rhode Island College issued a Request for Information soliciting informational responses from qualified vendors and other interested parties on strategic options for the Henry Barnard School building. In addition to providing a vision for the site, capital improvements, funding sources for capital improvements, and on-going maintenance, the parties were asked to provide how the organization would leverage the former school site in ways that contribute to the college’s mission, goals, or operation, in particular, contribute to the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development mission, vision, and goals.
In May 2024 the college issued a Request for Proposal stating that it is seeking an accredited school that is interested in leasing the former school building as well as serving as a strong partner to the college’s Feinstein School of Education and Human Development and as a partner to Rhode Island College through dual enrollment. It is presently evaluating the results of the RFP.
Any draft lease resulting from the negotiation process must be presented to, reviewed and voted on by the Council on Postsecondary Education before it can proceed.
Built in 1958 and named after Rhode Island’s first commissioner of education, the former Henry Barnard School was the elementary laboratory school of Rhode Island College through the 2020-21 academic year. The college leased the school space to Providence Country Day School, which operated on the college campus through June 2023.
