School committee hires PR firm to build public communications plan for construction project

The Barrington School Committee voted to direct Advocacy Solutions, the district’s communications contractor, to develop a comprehensive public communications plan for the district’s school construction program.

Committee members and several public speakers said community awareness of the construction project has been inconsistent and that many residents — including those without school‑aged children — are not receiving timely information. The committee said that poor communications posed a risk to the project’s progress and public support.

Chair and other committee members described previous ad‑hoc efforts, including a short PR contract and a separate project website that exhausted an initial $10,000 contract. The committee asked Advocacy Solutions to draft a clear deliverable outlining what improved engagement and information sharing would look like and to present that plan to the committee for feedback before implementation.

A public commenter urged the committee to reach those who do not yet have children in the schools — such as younger families and older residents — and to provide regular, easy-to-find updates about design, schedule and community impacts. The committee approved the motion to direct Advocacy Solutions to prepare a communications plan and asked for the plan to be returned for committee review.