The Providence (Rhode Island) District has broken ground on a $62.5 million project that will bring elementary and middle school grades together on one campus.
WJAR-TV reports that Asa Messer Elementary is being rebuilt and expanded to accommodate grade levels that now attend West Broadway Middle School.
When construction is completed, the four-story Asa Messer/West Broadway PK-8 School will accommodate about 1,000 students in prekindergarten through eighth grade, the district says.
While construction is ongoing, students from Asa Messer will be housed in swing space at the former Lauro Elementary. The new school is scheduled to open in 2027.
The district says adopting a preK-8 model for the new school will make it easier for students to transition from elementary to middle school grades.
