Fairfield Scores Large Reimbursement From State For New Dwight Elementary School

FAIRFIELD, CT — Fairfield stands to receive about $57 million from the state to help build a new Dwight Elementary School, which is projected to be completed in 2029.

The Redding Road school is 64 years old and has seen better days. Hence, the rebuild, which has been years in the making and is currently estimated to cost about $78.2 million.

The state's reimbursement represents 75 percent of the projected cost, which will save Fairfield taxpayers a huge portion of the expense.

On Monday, Gov. Ned Lamont visited the school, with members of Fairfield's state representative delegation and others, to announce the reimbursement.

"I'm incredibly grateful to the governor and our state delegation for their support of this project, recognizing the importance of investing in our students and our schools," said Superintendent Michael Testani during Monday's announcement. "I've had the privilege to work alongside the governor as superintendent now in two districts, and I have to say, there's no one more committed to public education."

The reimbursement was championed by Reps. Sarah Keitt (D-Fairfield, Trumbull), Jennifer Leeper (D-Fairfield, Southport), and Cristin McCarthy Vahey (D-Fairfield, Bridgeport), who worked hard to ensure the funding made it through the legislature.

Dwight is a nationally recognized Blue Ribbon School, and despite the facility's age, it has established itself as one of the premier elementary schools in Connecticut.

"Three years ago, I promised the parents of Dwight that I would fight to ensure their children had a healthy, safe, and state-of-the-art learning environment," Keitt said. "By working with our Board of Education, our Board of Selectmen, and the Chair of the House Education Committee, we have secured the funding to achieve that goal."

Among other enhancements, the new school will have dedicated space for special education, and early childhood instruction, which Lamont said are vital components of new schools in the state.

"One of the big things we look at is how we make sure that resources get into the classroom to make the biggest difference in kids' lives," Lamont said. "And part of what we're looking at is special education and early childhood education. I know what that means across the state and what it means here, and we want to make sure every single kid gets everything they need."

First Selectperson Christine Vitale thanked Lamont, the state representatives, local Board of Education and others for their efforts on behalf of Fairfield.

"This is a very large capital investment, and in order to move this project forward, other capital needs would need to be pushed out a little bit," said Vitale, whose children attended Dwight Elementary. "We knew that we would hopefully be getting some state reimbursement, but we didn't know how much. And when we found out that it was a large amount, it was an ecstatic day. So this is a very happy day. It's a day to celebrate."