Historic Elementary School Will Move To New Home

The Providence Country Day School (PCD) announced plans for a state-of-the-art renovation of Metcalf Hall to welcome the students from Henry Barnard School (HBS) for the 2023-2024 school year. This move comes as the first major milestone in the PCD-HBS transition to provide an exceptional academic experience for all students grades Pre-K through 12 on PCD’s 35-acre campus in East Providence.

Henry Barnard School has a 125-year legacy in elementary education, yet was facing closure at the end of the 2020-2021 school year. In March 2021, a groundbreaking plan was announced to save the school by joining with PCD – historically a 5-12 grade institution – as a PreK-12 school. The PCD Board of Trustees agreed to assume financial responsibility for HBS including the employment of HBS faculty and the continued operation of the school’s facilities on the Rhode Island College Campus until transitioning to a one-school one-campus model.

In the announcement, Head of School Kevin Folan highlighted how excited he is to unify the elementary students with middle and upper schoolers on one campus: “It’s time to bring our community together. We have been looking forward to this moment since the first days of connecting HBS and PCD. The student-centric focus of these two historic institutions is unparalleled. I know this move will only allow us to continue to deliver on and elevate the experience of every student who steps foot on our campus. This year is a momentous one for our community - marking 100 years for PCD and 125 years for HBS - and it feels right to celebrate that milestone together.”

Folan was hired as head of school at PCD in 2019, and under his leadership the school has announced multiple strategic initiatives aimed at reimagining the private school experience in today’s world. In addition to assuming leadership of HBS, PCD made national headlines in 2020 when it announced a tuition reset which decreased the sticker price by 36% as part of “The PCD Quest.” This initiative also included the creation of an virtual academy called PCD Online Academy to offer the school’s leading college preparatory curriculum to students who live too far away to benefit from attending PCD in person.

Folan gives credit for these bold moves to the PCD Board of Trustees and faculty team: “These past few years have been incredibly hard on educators, and yet our faculty remain committed to creating the best possible experience for students. None of this would be possible without our incredible team. A PCD education is one of the best investments a family can make in their child’s future, and the best value for private education in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.”

Founded in 1923, PCD is a college preparatory school located in East Providence, RI on 30+ acres of green space, where they will offer PreK through Grade 12 starting the 2023-2024 school year. Henry Barnard School is currently offering PreK-5 in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood in Providence, RI. Families who would like to inquire about PreK-12 may visit www.providencecountryday.org.