Carl Lauro, Feinstein at Broad St. Elementary Schools in Providence to close next year

THE FALLOUT CONTINUES AFTER NEWS BROKE SUNDAY THAT TWO PROVIDENCE SCHOOLS WOULD BE CLOSING FOR GOOD AT THE END OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR. YESTERDAY, TEACHERS AND PARENTS WERE PULLED INTO MEETINGS WHERE THEY LEARNED WHICH SCHOOLS WOULD CLOSE... AND WHAT THEIR FUTURE WOULD LOOK LIKE AS A RESULT. BE CLOSING. >> AND ALSO WHAT THEIR FUTURE COULD LO STREET IN PROVIDENCE. IT'S ONE OF THE 2 SCHOOLS THAT IS SLATED TO CLOSE AT THE END OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR. WE JUST WRAPPED UP MINUTES AGO A TOUR WITH THE EDUCATION COMMISSIONER AS SHE WAS GETTING A LOOK AT OUR CAMERAS ARE GETTING A LOOK AT SOME OF THE DEFICIENCIES INSIDE THE SCHOOL THAT PUT IT ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK ON SHOW YOU ONE OF THEM INSIDE THIS CLASSROOM. HERE YOU CAN SEE ON THE CEILING. >> THERE IS DETERIORATION FROM WHERE RAIN COMES IN AND WATER COMES IN BECAUSE OF THE CONDITION OF THE BUILDING SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE GOT TO SEE DOWN IN THE BASEMENT AND WILL BE ABLE TO GET SOME VIDEO FOR YOU NEXT HALF-HOUR. BUT DOWN THE IS REALLY THIS FALLOUT, SHELTER THAT WAS CREATED WHEN THIS SCHOOL WAS BUILT IN 18. 95. THERE ARE GALLONS OF WATER DOWN THERE IN CASE IS EVER NEEDED TO BE AN EVACUATION PLACE. IT WAS ALSO A TELEPHONE THAT WE SAW IN THE BATHROOM IN THE TEACHER'S ROOM THAT HAS BEEN IN PLACE SINCE GROVER CLEVELAND WAS PRESIDENT. SO THINGS LIKE THAT THAT REALLY PUT THE DATE ON THIS SCHOOL HERE AND THE EDUCATION COMMISSIONER ADDRESSED SOME OF THOSE THINGS. TAKE A LISTEN. >> THIS IS NOT OK. >> NOT OKAY. THAT WE ARE BED. I THINK IT'S A SCHOOL THAT TEACHES A COMING TO WORK THE PLACE THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY THIS. >> YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO BE DIFFICULT. BUT RIGHT NOW THIS IS EXCITING. EXCITING FOR PROBLEMS. >> HAVE THE ABILITY. >> ALL RIGHT. SO IT IS ALL PART OF THEIR PLAN THAT'S KNOWN AS NEWER AND FEWER AT THE END OF THIS FACILITIES PLAN. THAT'S ABOUT 500 MILLION DOLLARS. THERE SHOULD BE 10 NEW NEW BUILDINGS IN THE CITY. SOME OF THEM WILL BE CLOSING CONSOLIDATING DOWN TO TO LESS FEWER SCHOOLS, BUT THEY WILL BE NEW IN THE CITY. LAUREL SCHOOL IS ANOTHER SLATED TO CLOSE AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. AND THEN WE ALSO LEARNED LAST NIGHT THAT THE GILBERT, STUART MIDDLE SCHOOL IN PROVIDENCE IS ALSO GOING TO GET TO PHASE OUT NEXT YEAR BECAUSE OF THAT IS SLATED TO CLOSE THE FOLLOWING YEAR IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE A BRAND-NEW PRE K TO A CAMPUS IN (PATRICK) AT THE END OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR, IT WILL BE THE END OF AN ERA FOR TWO PROVIDENCE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. THE CARL G. LAURO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THE FEINSTEIN AT BROAD STREET SCHOOL WILL BE PERMANENTLY CLOSED AS PART OF THE DISTRICT'S 500-MILLION DOLLAR FACILITIES PLAN. (DANIELLE) AND LAST NIGHT WE LEARNED A THIRD SCHOOL IS ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK. . SCHOOL IS NOW ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK. ERIK WHERE I SAW YOU LAST TO THE AUDITORIUM HERE AT THE FEINSTEIN SCHOOL ON BROAD STREET. AND I WANT TO GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE TO SHOW YOU THE DEFICIENCIES DEFICIENCIES THAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT HERE. JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THE AUDITORIUM RIGHT UP ON THAT CEILING. YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE WATER HAS JUST POURED THROUGH THE ROOF AND INTO THE CEILINGS. AND THEY TELL US HERE. >> WHEN IT RAINS, IT IS FELT ON THE TOPS OF THE HEADS OF THE STUDENTS HERE. BUT INTEREST IN THIS SCHOOL IS JUST A TREASURE TROVE OF HISTORY THIS YEAR. NICE. THIS IS A PICTURE OF THE FIRST GRADUATING CLASS HERE FROM 18. 98. THE SCHOOL BUILDING WAS BUILT IN 18 95. SO, OF COURSE, THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER FOR RIDE TELLING US MUSEUMS ARE NOT CONDUCIVE FOR EDUCATIONAL SPACES. AND I DON'T THINK ANYONE WOULD DISAGREE WITH THAT. BUT THERE IS A LOT OF RICH HISTORY IN THIS BUILDING HERE. LET'S GO AHEAD AND SHOW YOU AS WE TOURED WITH THE EDUCATION COMMISSIONER JUST A SHORT TIME AGO THROUGHOUT THE MORNING HERE, SEEING A LOT OF DIFFERENT AREAS OF THIS COOL THAT WE'RE REALLY WORKING TO CONVINCE US THAT THIS DECISION TO CLOSE THIS SCHOOL WAS THE RIGHT ONE ALONG WITH THE SCHOOL. AND WE ALSO LEARNED THAT GILBERT, STUART MIDDLE SCHOOL HERE IN PROVIDENCE IS ALSO GOING TO BE CLOSING IN THE 2020 FOR 2025 SCHOOL YEAR. A PHASEOUT WILL BEGIN THEIR NEXT YEAR. THAT SCHOOL IS GOING TO BE A DIFFERENT MODEL OF SCHOOLING, IF YOU WILL, NOT WHAT WE'RE USED TO INSTEAD OF THE PRE K THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THEN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL STEPS. >> THIS IS GOING TO BE ALL ONE SCHOOL THAT WILL EMBODY PRE K SERVICES. IT'S A IT'S REALLY A NEW MODEL. AND THERE ARE 5 OF THOSE MODELS ON THIS NEW DISTRICT PLAN THAT'S EXPECTED TO COST ABOUT 500 MILLION DOLLARS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS. THAT WILL END ABOUT 10 NEW OR LIKE NEW SCHOOL BUILDINGS. NOW, THIS ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE CLOSURES THAT'S REALLY BEEN THE STICKING POINT SINCE IT WAS BREAKING ON SUNDAY BECAUSE IT WAS REALLY SPRUNG ON TEACHERS, PARENTS, FACULTY. AND SO WE ASKED THE EDUCATION COMMISSIONER ABOUT THAT JUST A SHORT TIME AGO. HERE IS HER RESPONSE. >> THIS IS NOT OUR OUR PLAN WAS TO SPEAK WITH THEM, SPEAK WITH THE FAMILIES FIRST. >> BUT, YOU KNOW, THINGS HAPPEN. OBVIOUSLY THERE WAS A LEAK HE WAS PUT OUT THERE BEFORE WE WERE READY TO ACTUALLY COMMUNICATE THIS TO THE PUBLIC. AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE. BUT WE'RE HERE AND WE'RE HERE AND WE SHOULD BE EXCITED ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING. >> ALL RIGHT. AND SO WHILE THE DUST IS STILL SETTLING FOR THE PARENTS AND FOR THE TEACHERS, WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT EVERY UNION EMPLOYEE IN THE DISTRICT WILL HAVE A JOB NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. THOSE WHO ARE EMPLOYED AT THE 2 SCHOOLS THAT ARE CLOSING, IT MAY NOT BE IN A POSITION THAT THEY WANT, BUT THEY WILL BE GUARANTEED A POSITION IN THE DISTRICT. FAMILIES WILL ALSO AFTER THE NEW YEAR BE HEARING FROM THE ABOUT MEETING OPPORTUNITIES. WORLD THERE, LEARN HOW THEY CAN BEST CHOOSE THE SCHOOL THAT THEY WOULD LIKE THEIR CHILD GO TO. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD GUYS THAT THEYw