Darien Officially Unveils Phase 1 Of New Ox Ridge Elementary

DARIEN, CT — At long last, the Darien community officially unveiled phase 1 of the new Ox Ridge Elementary School with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 10.

Town officials, families and students gathered outside of the newly completed academic wing on Saturday, which notably features larger classrooms, more natural light thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows, a central courtyard and learning commons, which are communal-type spaces that connect each grade's classrooms.

The original school building, which dates back to the 1960's, is almost totally deconstructed. The sounds of construction on the assembly wing murmured in the background, with work scheduled to be completed over the next year.

In total, the entire project cost $63 million.

The assembly wing should be completed over the next year.

Darien Board of Education Chair and Ox Ridge Building Committee Co-Chair David Dineen said Ox Ridge and the Hindley, Holmes and Royle renovations, have set the stage over the next few years for removing portable classrooms in the district.

"This is a community that, in my time on the board, truly invests in the education of our students on a regular basis, and not just through curriculum and sports and theater and clubs, but we invest in the infrastructure and facilities of our schools," Dineen said. "That's important. They're big numbers, but the process is in place and the right leaders are in town."

Dineen acknowledged fellow Building Committee Co-Chair Kip Koons, and credited him for helping to move the Ox Ridge project along. Plans had been years in the making. The committee began its work on the project in February 2019.

Koons noted that even after delays due to COVID-19 and material shortages, the project is only four weeks behind schedule, and still under budget.

Koons called Saturday's ribbon-cutting a soft opening.

"We have one more year to go to present a total school to you," he said.

Koons noted that some of the Early Learning Program spaces are being used for a temporary gymnasium, cafeteria and library while the assembly wing is being built.

Ox Ridge Principal Luke Forshaw said the academic wing took years of shared effort. He hoped the ribbon-cutting and unveiling of phase 1 could serve as a lesson to students that teamwork, collaboration and hard work can be powerful.

Superintendent of Darien Public Schools Dr. Alan Addley said the new Ox Ridge is a symbol of Darien's values for education, and is "a testament to the vision, leadership and planning of town officials, boards, committees and community members over many years."

"Metaphorically and literally, this new building prepares our youngest children to take their first steps on their journey in preparing them to thrive today and make a lasting change on the world tomorrow," he said.

Watch Saturday's entire ribbon-cutting ceremony here.