McNamara bill would extend deadline for start of school construction projects to utilize aid bonuses

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) – Representative Joseph M. McNamara has introduced legislation that would extend the deadline to start new school construction projects that would use the school housing aid bonuses.

The housing aid program was created by the General Assembly in the 1960’s to make sure all public schools met a set of guidelines and that nothing about costs or construction would interfere with the operation of the schools.

Certain housing aid bonuses were only available for specific types of construction. There are currently bonuses that would address safety deficiencies and also enhance education, provided those projects begin by December 30, 2022. This legislation would allow for projects to have until December 30, 2023.

“A lot of school construction time was lost while addressing COVID-19,” said Representative McNamara, who chairs the House Education Committee. “That, coupled with interruptions in the supply chain, created some challenging situations for school districts that wanted to begin construction projects. This bill would afford those districts another year to take advantage of temporary school housing aid bonuses.”