RIC Closing Henry Barnard School After 122 Years - Parents Voice Outrage

RIC Closing Henry Barnard School After 122 Years - Parents Voice Outrage

One of the best schools in Rhode Island, Henry Barnard School, which is located at and run by Rhode Island College, will be closed at the end of this academic year.

After months of refusing to respond to questions from parents and blocking disclosure of information, RIC President Frank Sánchez finally announced the impending closure.

In July, GoLocal reported that parents at Henry Barnard were frustrated at what they say was the lack of information about the finances -- and future -- of the school, sent a public record request seeking communications among administrators about their children's school. 

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The response they received from RIC? A bill for an estimated cost of $2,100 from state officials. 

Now, after learning of the upcoming closing of the school, parents immediately announced outrage.

Outrage at RIC

“Unfortunately, there are 150 RI elementary school children at the bottom of the RI College to-do list,” said Scott Bromberg, HBS’s Parents’ Association President and former Vice President of Benny’s Inc. “Rhode Island College has essentially told my 7 and 9-year-old children and their 200 classmates, the 35 dedicated teachers, a 122-year old education institution and the countless alumni (and I say that quite literally as RIC has never kept a log of HBS alumni) that Henry Barnard, and we, have outlived our usefulness to the college.”

Bromberg said, “This announcement is terrible timing. During a pandemic that already has placed so much stress on young children across the state, they throw this curveball. Every child in RI is coping with disrupted schedules, a lack of sports and outside activities, online learning, no contact with friends, and now they are learning of their school – a place they hold dear – closing.”

According to RIC, Henry Barnard has presented both "fiscal and programmatic challenges for RIC."

The school's operating losses for the past three fiscal years were $1.4 million (FY 18), $1.6 million (FY 19) and $1.6 million (FY 20). These operating losses are covered directly by the college, drawing funds from other programs that support college students at the core of the institution’s mission.

At the same time, the educational model on which HBS was founded in the 1800s, as a laboratory school for the college’s teacher candidates, is no longer considered best practice in teacher education. With an entirely redesigned curriculum that is on the cutting-edge of teacher education nationwide, RIC’s Feinstein School of Education and Human Development (FSEHD) has shifted its focus to serving urban public schools, and placing teacher candidates in schools with significant ELL and special education populations. This has resulted in a declining number of FSEHD student teacher placements at HBS.

Despite efforts to revitalize HBS enrollment, which has fallen by more than 40 percent since 2017, and facing the prospect of sustained million-dollar-plus deficits at HBS that divert funds from the institution’s core mission, the college concluded that continued losses from the operation of HBS cannot be sustained and reached the difficult conclusion that HBS will not reopen in Fall 2021.

“These are the hardest choices I’ve had to make during my time as president,” said Sánchez. “However, they were compelled by the need to continue to serve more than 6,500 college students at the heart of our mission, many of whom are the first in their family to attend college. Every decision I make is guided by my responsibility to them.”

Bromberg said, “It is a shame RIC has chosen to give up. They have made no effort to envision a HBS that meets their needs and actually attracts students to their institution.  Instead, HBS parents and family members have moved into action. In the coming months, we will be working to reimagine HBS and create a wonderful, diverse school for children in RI.  It would be a true shame if we in RI allow this important tradition and critical option in our educational system to dissolve.  These engaged family members will try like heck to not allow that to happen.”

“As parents we believed in Henry Barnard’s mission, in its curriculum, in its teachers and in placing our kids into a laboratory school that helped educate future RI teachers. After being left rowing toward a waterfall the administration could see, but would not share with us, the families decided to get together and attempt to save this school.  We are taking steps as we speak to reinvent Henry Barnard and keep it operating for children in RI for the next 120 years.”