WOONSOCKET – RISE Prep Academies, a K-12 charter school network serving students in Burrillville, North Smithfield and Woonsocket, announced the lease-to-own acquisition of the former Lady of Victories elementary school on Spring Street in Woonsocket.
“The property will become RISE Prep Upper Academy for a projected enrollment of 400 student in grades 9-12 “at some point in the 2026-2027 school year,” said founder and executive Director of RISE Prep Rosalind DaCruz at a press conference at the property on Tuesday, April 29.
Depending on architectural findings, the school will either be renovated and expanded, or demolished and rebuilt, a decision she expects by the fall of this year, DaCruz said.
“Cost-wise it’s so similar, so the timeline to opening will be the main determinator,” she said.
DaCruz said RISE looked at a couple of properties owned by the city of Woonsocket before deciding on this 1.51 acre former elementary school, currently owned by 120 Spring Woonsocket LLC.
“We are confident that it will be a great space,” she said.
The $6,000 monthly lease will lead to a purchase of $850,000 in early 2026, according to press release from RISE Prep Academies, in accordance with the Rhode Island Department of Education School Building Authority regulations.
The Upper Academy is currently housed at 600 Social Street in Woonsocket. The first ninth grade class of 65 scholars began high school last September, and will eventually attend school at the Spring Street property in two years, DaCruz said.
RISE Prep Academies was established in 2015 for students who apply and are selected via lottery to attend either the K-8 Lower Academy or 9-12 Upper Academy. RISE focuses on college preparation and does this with various measures including longer school days and “innovative teaching techniques,” according to a press release.
“It has always been our vision to develop a separate facility for our Upper Academy. RISE is taking an important step for creating a permanent home,” DaCruz said. “We want to make sure this school meets the needs of our students and is welcoming, modern and efficient.”
Josh Faulk, founding high school principal of RISE, echoed those sentiments at the press conference.
“This is not about a building, but about creating an environment that these schools deserve to have,” he said.
The property was formerly part of the Greater Woonsocket Catholic Regional School system and closed in 2009 due to declining enrollment.
“I used to go here,” said Woonsocket Mayor Chris Beauchamp at the press conference, “I won’t say how many years ago. But as someone who lived in this neighborhood all my life, this was a school for many years, and it’s going back to being school again, and helping to make RISE the great success it has become.”
Eleni Maicher, a ninth grade math teacher at the Upper Academy, said the new facility will make teaching and learning a better experience.
“I believe where I teach will be as important as what I teach,” Maicher said.
Ninth grader Khaydin Wilkinson, a freshman, said he is excited about the new facility.
“As a scholar, I am so thankful for this gigantic investment for our school,” he said.
DaCruz said the students were able to weigh in about what they would like to see added to the new high school during the preliminary design.
“We asked scholars and of course we heard about a bigger gym, a weight room. But we are still a college prep school, so we’ll likely see state of the art science labs as well,” she said.
