Construction of the new Johnston Elementary School in Rhode Island remains on time and is now projected to cost less than expected, according to a presentation made by a senior project manager at the Sept. 9 building subcommittee meeting of the Johnston Public Schools (JPS).
Justin Bernard, senior project manager of Colliers Engineering & Design, said the total anticipated cost of the construction is now just under $92 million, down from the project's overall budget, which remains roughly $94.6 million. So far, the project has expended approximately $65 million, the Johnston Sun Rise reported Sept. 11, 2025.
Negotiations with construction giant Gilbane and its subcontractors played a key part in cutting costs, Bernard said, making it possible to dispose of the project's excess soil at a rate of $15 per ton instead of the original charge of $40 per ton. Soil disposal will now cost only about $250,000, down from an initial estimated cost of $1.4 million.
Bernard's presentation included drone footage taken in late August that provided a bird's-eye view of the construction. He confirmed to committee members that all of the building's brick exterior has been placed and that the roof is now complete. In addition, he estimated that roughly 90-95 percent of the structure's drywall also is in place, with interior painting well under way.
Landscaping will be a critical next step for the project, including the installation of an outdoor playground and the planting of a number of trees expected to arrive in late October. Bernard also said that construction workers would begin to put down flooring inside the building within the next few weeks.
The new Johnston Elementary School remains on track to open in the fall of 2026, where it will serve up to 1,100 students in grades 1-4 from throughout the district.
Students From Four Schools Consolidated Under One Roof
The Sept. 9 construction update was a welcome piece of news for JPS officials, whose hopes of achieving financial stability are pinned on the new elementary school. The district's financial problems were brought into sharp focus during the summer, when a $5.4 million bailout from the town's reserve fund in June was needed to balance the fiscal year budget.
By closing all four of Johnston's current elementary schools next year and consolidating those students into a single building, the school system hopes to reduce operating costs in the district enough to prevent future budget shortfalls.
Johnston's school committee members also reacted positively to the news that progress on the new elementary school's construction is going better than expected.
"This is a big deal: on time and under budget," said Joseph Rotella, the committee's chair. "That's what we were hoping for."
Fellow member Carolyn Thornton Iannuccilli added that she was glad to hear of the project's saved costs, and credited JPS Finance Director Dean Huff for negotiating a better deal on soil disposal.
"I think we need that kind of diligence and hard work to find those savings for our school district, which is all going to add up," she said.
