State approves $7.7 million of repairs at the high school and middle school

What happened

The interim superintendent reported on January 8, 2026 that the state Council on Elementary and Secondary Education had approved Smithfield's Necessity of School Construction application on January 5, with approved values of $7,294,399 for Smithfield High School and $454,303 for Gallagher Middle School. The work identified in the Stage II plan approved in September 2025 includes seven restroom renovations, an emergency generator, a fire alarm panel upgrade, the high school roof and a middle school special education room. The district's plan assumes about $500,000 a year from the town, with roughly 35 percent of costs reimbursed by the state.

Why it matters to families

These are the fixes to buildings students use every day, and the state money depends on the town putting in its share each year.

The evidence

The January 8, 2026 approved minutes record the superintendent's report of the January 5 Council approval with the approved values for each school; the September 4, 2025 minutes record the Stage II project list and the five-year funding plan with 35 percent state reimbursement.

The source