District proposes new high school, early learning academy
NEW FAIRFIELD — Constructing a new high school and an early learning academy to replace Consolidated School are emerging as the top options to deal with the problems in the district’s buildings, but other ideas are still on the table.
Combined, these projects would cost between $109 million to $112 million, but those figures do not include state grants the town hopes to receive.
The district has not decided whether both projects would be completed simultaneously.
These grants would mean it would be cheaper — or potentially only a few thousand dollars more — to build new schools, rather than to renovate or complete isolated projects, options which are also being considered.
“Most of the leaders in
the town agree (building) new is probably the best, most efficient and effective way to deal with the older structures and to provide a plan and school buildings that will really take the town 30, 40 years into the future,” Superintendent Pat Cosentino said. “Town leaders also know that they need community input because it is a large amount of money.”
To get this feedback, the district is offering tours of Consolidated School and the high school at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and a public forum at 7 p.m. Thursday.
The school board expects to decide which option to pursue at its 7 p.m. May 7 meeting. The goal is to apply for a state grant by June 30, although the board could chose to apply the following year.
Conditions in Consolidated and the high school are poor, experts with QA+M Architecture said at a meeting this week when they presented the options. Both schools are too big for declining enrollment, need new roofs, and lack energy efficiency, flexible space and handicap accessibility, among other problems.
“There is no beating around the bush that we need to do something,” board member Edward Sbordone said at the meeting. “The numbers don’t lie. If we do nothing, it’s going to cost us so much more in the long run. It’s going to be so much more detrimental to the children.”
Under one plan, a new high school would be built on the existing campus and then the old one would be demolished, but the pool and gym would remain for community use.
This would cost $79.3 million if the district meets its goal to apply for a state grant by the end of June. That grant would bring the cost to the town down to $59.5 million.
If the town applied the following year, the project is estimated at $81.3 million because construction costs would rise. The cost to the town would then be $60.9 million with the grant.
With both options, the town could argue for higher reimbursement, said Rusty Malik, a principal with QA+M Architecture.
Altering the high school would cost $70.2 million, but the town would only receive $1.9 million in reimbursement, QA+M Architecture estimated.
To complete necessary improvement projects, such as roof replacement and handicap accessibility, would cost $59.2 million. But those projects would be completed over several years, so costs would rise, and little state reimbursement is available, Malik said.
Meanwhile, the district is considering demolishing Consolidated School, where pre-kindergarten through second grade students attend, and moving those students into a new academy at the Meeting House Hill School campus. Second-graders would move into a wing at Meeting House, while an extension would be built onto that school for the younger grades.
This would cost $30.1 million if the district applied for the state grant this year, but $30.7 million the following year. With the state grant, the cost to the town would be $23.4 million this year and $23.8 million next year.
Altering would cost $37.9 million, with town spending $35.8 million, pending a state grant. Isolated projects are estimated at $34.5 million, but this figure would rise over the years, too, Malik said.
Building new would be better for students since they could stay in the old schools until the new ones are complete, said Angela Cahill, of QA+M Architecture.
“The littlest children in your community should not feel the effects of renovation,” she said. “It’s very, very disturbing to them and their learning.”