Gilbert Stuart Middle School

About this Property

#Reason for Demolition

The reasoning behind the closure of the school is complex. Yes, buildings built for one type of learning almost 100 years ago may not be suited for modern learning. But at the same time, building new structures to meet the evolving demands of current education practices is short-sighted and no guarantee that any new structure will be able to support the needs of students in the future.

According to the district, declining enrollment and aging infrastructure — structures that range from 75 to 100 years old — are two of the cited reasons closure. In a presentation, the Providence Public School Board (PPSD) said another school at Broad Street, now 127 years old, has only 277 students left, with enrollment down 40% over the last decade. Carl G. Lauro, at 95 years old, has 475 students left due to a nearly 50% decline over the same period.¹

Agree or disagree with school demolition, the PPSD and the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) did not take community input properly into account when it started to discuss plans to modernize buildings in the district. The Providence public school system has been under enormous pressure ever since the state take over and has not always handled community communication effectively.

In 2022, the first mention of Gilbert Stuart on the chopping block surfaced at a public meeting. While two other schools were the focus of demolition, Gilbert Stuart Middle School was cited as another that would start to be phased out. The school district’s deputy superintendent of operations, Zack Scott, conceded after multiple questions that the city school district’s leadership team were the ones who deliberated on the school closures — not the community, as promised in messaging.²

While talking about the closure of a different school, state Representative Nathan Biah summarized the communities feelings:

“I don’t think any parent wants their children to be in a broken-down school […] But… the respect that we give to the community, I think that’s what we’re missing there.”³

But the same lack of communication and transparency is prevalent. In April 2025, the School Building Committee approved the demolition plan for Gilbert Stuart, with demolition to begin in August 2025. But parents and community members cite the district’s own report about the plan. The school district’s architectural feasibility study placed a nearly $63 million price tag on demolition and reconstruction while the same study suggested that the cost to rehabilitate the existing structure would be about $12 million less.⁴

When pressed on the reasoning, Rhode Island Department of Education spokesperson Victor Morente said “the new school is designed to better meet accessibility and access needs for students in younger grades and those with mobility issues as well as better support multilingual learners with specific configurations for Spanish and English-speaking classrooms.” The layout and access issues with the current Gilbert Stuart building provide too much of challenge to make accessible.⁵

Unsurprisingly, the state Historic Commission (RIHPHC) objects to the demolition. Codified into state law are provisions for decommissioning structures that are eligible for the Historic Place registers. In 2010, the RIHPHC notified RIDE that Gilbert Stuart Middle School was eligible to join the state and national Registers of Historic Places. The school’s eligibility status grants the historical commission certain oversight measures to review and consult on changes to the property, a process outlined in 530-RICR-10-00-1.

Over a decade later, when PPSD announced plans for demolition, the heritage commission requested information about the reasoning. A copy of the architectural feasibility study, which did not answer any of the agency’s specific questions, was sent as a response in June of 2025. RIHPHC requested additional materials, including photos, building plans and public meeting summaries but had not received anything as of mid-July, according to a letter sent by its executive director to the architecture firm handling the project.⁶

Once again, PPSD and RIDE refuse to act in good faith when communicating with the public they are supposed to serve, even going so far as to simply refuse or neglect to follow state laws.

#Current Events

Construction fencing surrounds the site with asbestos remediation currently underway. Demolition should begin soon after unless something drastic changes.

The Providence Preservation Society has been keeping a close eye on public meetings and proceedings with this and other Providence schools under threat. See their July article about Gilbert Stuart School in both English and Spanish as well as their city-wide advocacy page for public schools.

#History

From a write up for the 10 Most Endangered List, Providence Preservation Society, 2016

Children are Providence’s most important resources and it is critical that the schools they use daily are both safe and inspiring. Unfortunately, many of Providence’s public schools are in dire need of physical improvement, which has been shown to impact learning. But it is possible to find solutions that are financially and environmentally sustainable. Nathan Bishop Middle School was slated for demolition in 2006 because of its poor physical condition. Opposition by neighborhood residents and PPS led to a reuse study that led to an award-winning restoration that cost less than replacement. Each of the schools below needs that kind of neighborhood advocacy and city leadership to deliver the kind of schools our children deserve.

The Gilbert Stuart School is a public school in the West End of Providence. The Greek Revival style school was originally designed as a high school but over the years it has been used as an elementary school and now currently a middle school serving grades 6 to 8. The school has served neighborhood students and families for over 80 years, yet over the years it has suffered from consistent neglect and lack of upkeep. The Gilbert Stuart School is in dire need of major upgrades and repairs in order to continue servicing students and their families. The building is faced with water damage, poor air quality, inefficient heating, and an outdated plumbing system that has made the water unsafe to drink.

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From “Providence: A Citywide Survey of Historic Resources,” prepared by the RIHPHC, 1986

160 Bucklin Street — Gilbert Stuart Junior High School 1931: Office of the Commissioner of Public Buildings, architects. This large, 3-story, yellow- brick, Neoclassical structure has a pedimented front portico. It was part of the city’s last major public-school building campaign, carried out between the two World Wars.

#In the News

Opinion: City students want equity, stability, not ‘Newer and Fewer’

by Guest columnists
Providence Journal | February 11, 2024

At Classical High School, students have benefited from school renovations. In 2022, Classical began interior improvements worth $34 million. Today the bubblers work, the stairwells and bathrooms no longer leak, and our classrooms are new and colorful. Renovations have made Classical a more comfortable, productive space for learning while maintaining a sense of continuity for students.

Classical, a disproportionately white, test-in school, is a rare example. Elsewhere, the Providence Public School District (PPSD) is closing and demolishing schools. 2023 was the last year for Broad Street and Carl G. Lauro elementaries. Gilbert Stuart Middle School closes in June. Mount Pleasant High School will be partially or completely destroyed. Why is Classical renovated and these schools are not? PPSD calls it “Newer and Fewer.”

“Newer and Fewer” means closing small schools with declining enrollment and replacing them with fewer, larger schools. Meanwhile, hundreds of students are opting into (smaller) charter, private and suburban schools, threatening PPSD’s long-term funding. After the infamous 2019 Johns Hopkins report, the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) took control of the district. Conditions have barely improved. From 2019-22, student math proficiency remained at 10% and English Language Arts proficiency rose only .9% to 14.9%.

Smaller schools could attract families back. Small schools increase scores for all by grouping students of diverse abilities and socioeconomic status. Larger schools are associated with a 12% increase in dropout rates. Researchers at the University of Oregon found that “large schools seem to be significantly less effective in producing student achievement.” Closing schools, bypassing necessary renovations and consolidating in larger new-builds create conditions for decreased student performance and accelerated disenrollment.

Both PPSD and RIDE have failed to clearly communicate their plans with the community; neither have shown results. Why should we believe in “Newer and Fewer”? RIDE and PPSD did not announce the 2023 closures of Gilbert Stuart, Carl G. Lauro, and Broad Street. The Providence Teachers Union, a private association, broke the news. RIDE’s near-total defunding of these schools’ improvements budgets suggests that they had been planning closures since 2019.

In 2007, PPSD considered demolishing Nathan Bishop Middle School, whose enrollment and reputation had declined. After public opposition to demolition, the city chose renovations. The project cost $26 million, 35% cheaper than expected. Today, Nathan Bishop is a model Providence school; it’s energy-efficient, accommodates modern learning and preserves the historic structure. Renovating whiter and wealthier Nathan Bishop while ignoring the significant community desire to renovate Mount Pleasant is blatantly inequitable.

This summer, PPSD announced three options for Mount Pleasant High: complete demolition, partial demolition and renovation. In August, we attended a “public input” meeting; it felt like PPSD had already made up its mind. In September, PPSD announced that renovations were off the table, citing a $190-million price tag. However, a 2017 assessment estimates renovations closer to $31 million. PPSD has not provided figures to substantiate this $160-million difference. In our interviews, Mount Pleasant students expressed pessimism about their school, but felt proud of recent updates to the gym and north wing.

Complete renovation of Mount Pleasant could introduce modern learning amenities, be cost-effective and provide consistency for students. Renovations won’t expose the neighborhood to dangerous particulates or emit thousands of tons of carbon. Demolition and new-build will.

The district can still choose to renovate Mount Pleasant. Positive engagement with families and smaller schools can turn decreased enrollment and stagnant student performance around. The district and state need to learn to consistently care for their assets so our neighborhood anchors are never demolished. Stability, consistent care and equitable treatment for our schools are what students want.

The Providence Student Union Leadership Team comprises 12 high schoolers. Senior and team co-director Dexter Vincent, senior Yasemin Eksioglu and junior Naima Gnepa, both team members, and all of Classical High School, lead the group’s advocacy on Mount Pleasant High School.

— Columnists, Guest. “City students want equity, stability, not ‘Newer and Fewer’.” Providence Journal (RI), PFO-Journal ed., sec. News, 11 Feb. 2024, p. A20. NewsBank: America’s News, https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=NewsBank&req_dat=D4BD6B42F1AB4706B5E1244D477DEE03&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews/19722867CF2D3160. Accessed 6 Sept. 2025.