Construction Update: Building a New Chariho Alternative Learning Center

A six million dollar budget was passed by voters in 2016 for the construction of a new RYSE (Reaching Youth through Support and Education) building. The construction of a new building eliminates the need to re-lease the portable classrooms already in use by the district, which have been deemed insufficient to serve as a safe and healthy learning environment for students. Chariho Regional School District Superintendent Barry Ricci said that he was thrilled that the Chariho District was able to provide an equitable learning opportunity for students attending RYSE.

Although the name “RYSE” will be changed to “Chariho Alternative Learning Academy,” the program will remain the same and there will be no staff changes.. Ricci explains the program consists of two parts, the clinical program and the alternative program. Both halves of the program were created to cater to children who struggle to learn in a typical environment. The clinical program ensures support for students who have disabilities, and it provides a variety of therapeutic outlets to students with learning obstacles. The alternative program is similar, catering to students who struggle in a traditional school setting. All kinds of resources are available to students who struggle with school work or the challenges of everyday life, whether that be at home or in the classroom. 43 students are currently enrolled in RYSE and will continue to work in the original RYSE building until the new building is finished. According to Ricci, this is estimated to be around the end of June 2018. The Chariho Alternative Learning Academy will be in use for the 2018-2019 school year.

When asked the motivation for the construction of a new RYSE building, Ricci explained that equity played a huge part. He explained that all children deserve the right to get a quality education and should be equally set up to succeed.

The current state of the RYSE building is not equal to either the High School or the Middle School. The building was a intended to be a temporary solution, composed of 26 portable trailers. The hallways are narrow, and lunches are eaten in common rooms due to the lack of a lunch room. There is not much space in the building, there is no gymnasium, and there are no science labs. Ceiling tiles and doors are falling apart. Compared to the high school, which has a cafeteria, a gymnasium, and a plethora of science laboratories in E Hall, it is clear the original RYSE building is not an equitable learning environment for students.

With the construction of a new building, Ricci intends to solve these problems. Specialized rooms will be built where students can work in small groups instead of in a large classroom setting, and there will be a science laboratory. Also, the construction includes a room that can be converted from a gymnasium to a lunch room. Additionally, the general state of the building will be much better than the current trailers. The Chariho Alternative Learning Academy will also share a wall with the existing middle school for the purpose of sharing the already-established plumbing and electrical systems; however, access to the middle school from the Chariho Alternative Learning Academy will be structurally restricted.

Parking passes have been a common topic of conversation within the Chariho community, specifically within the upperclassmen community of the High School. Parking passes are sparse, due to the parking behind the original RYSE school being consumed by the construction of the new building. Ricci says that by the end of October 2017 fencing around the new building should be safely tightened and some parking will be opened up. Ricci also states that spaces behind the school are being reorganized and parking will be spaced as efficiently as possible for the 2018-2019 school year. When the original RYSE building is removed, that space will be used as a parking lot, and the bus loop will extend into that area. Ultimately, the parking situation will get much better and the school will end up with more parking spaces than it had previously. Ricci knows the parking situation has been difficult for some students, and he thanks the students of Chariho High School for being patient.

For more information on the RYSE program, go to: https://www.chariho.k12.ri.us/rys