The 5-2 vote allowed Supt. John Ambrogi to complete an application for Stage 1 preliminary approval for the project from the Department of Education. He received a letter last week from Carolyn Dias, director of finance and administration.

She wrote that the department “recognizes the great need for facilities work in Newport. To that, we are both approving your Stage 1 application and encouraging you to begin work on the Stage 2 application as soon as possible. We will continue to work with you to the extent needed during the Stage 2 process with the goal of full Board of Regents approval of the project by late April or early May.

"Approval by the Regents by May should allow Newport sufficient time to obtain General Assembly approval for enabling legislation in this session.”

Ambrogi said it took longer than expected to receive the preliminary approval. But the news was welcome.

“I was obviously pleased we would be able to move forward with the project. It is one of the most important things that will be faced by the voters in November in terms of making a determination as to whether or not they support quality education for students at a very reasonable price,” he said. “Now hopefully we’ll quickly get Stage 2 approval and we’ll be able to show that a new school construction program benefits everyone in the city, the students, first and foremost, but additionally the taxpayers.

According to Ambrogi, the consolidation, from seven schools to three, would translate into $21 million in savings in personnel costs alone during the next 20 years, not to mention heating and other expenses. In addition, the four elementary schools that would no longer be needed could be sold by the city for an estimated $7.7 million, generating about $16 million in taxes for the city over the next years If the city were to continue relying on its old elementary schools, it would still be faced with costly renovations, he said.

The timetable calls for the three schools to be fully realigned and renovated by the fall of 2011.

The plan is not without its critics. At hearings, parents have criticized moving seventh and eighth graders to Rogers and realigning grades at Thompson, which was refurbished with the intention of housing students in grades 6 to 8. Some said that a K-2 school should be built not at Underwood, but at a more central location.

Ambrogi said that the Stage 2 application will require the city to submit detailed plans to the state. It’s where the city would have to commit to a location and grade alignment.