Board Of Estimate & Taxation Rejects $39.8M For Old Greenwich School Repairs: Report

GREENWICH, CT — The Greenwich Board of Estimate and Taxation last week voted along party lines to reject a request from the Board of Education for $39.8 million for renovations to Old Greenwich School.

Six Republicans voted against the request, and six Democrats voted for the funding in a special meeting.

According to Greenwich Time, Republican members said they needed to go through a more thorough process in planning for the project, and more time to evaluate alternatives, such as building a new school altogether.

By voting to reject, Democrats said the delay to fix the aging school and bring it up to ADA standards would impact students and taxpayers.

Old Greenwich School Building Committee Chair James Waters noted that there's no appetite for a complete tear-down of the school.

The BET's vote likely delayed repairs to the school until 2025 at the earliest, the Time said.

Old Greenwich School, which was built in 1902, has suffered from poor ventilation, sewage problems and ADA noncompliance over the years.

Read more from Greenwich Time. You can watch last Friday's full BET meeting here.