Decision Made On West Shore Middle School Opening Date

MILFORD, CT — Milford Public Schools has decided to delay the opening of West Shore Middle School for three days after the other schools in town begin the school year.

The delay is due to a renovation project at the school.

The first day of school for all schools except West Shore will be Aug. 28. West Shore will open Aug. 31.

"The three day delay in opening will insure that all of the classrooms to be occupied by our students will be completely ready to receive them," said Principal Paul Cavanna in a letter to parents. It will also allow for the necessary inspections to take place before the building can be occupied.

More from West Shore Middle School administration:

I would like to invite you to a ‘Sneak Peek’ of the school on Wednesday, August 30th from
5:30-6:30 p.m. for 6th graders and 6:30-7:30 p.m. for 7th and 8th graders. Students need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian. This will be a chance to visit the school, see the classrooms and the current layout. Mr. Hayes and I will be on hand to welcome you. We hope to see you Wednesday evening.

Throughout our entire remodeling and renovation process, our number one priority has been and will continue to be the safety of our students and staff. We have continually been in communication with inspectors from the fire, police and city building departments. We have worked side-by-side with the contractors and architects. This has been and will continue to be a joint effort with the needs of students and staff being front and center. Please understand that the renovation project at West Shore was scheduled to take more than a year to complete.

Construction began in March 2017, so there was never an expectation that all work would be completed at the start of this school year. Sufficient renovation would be completed, however, to begin the school year, and that is being achieved. Regarding construction from this point forward, it will continue after school begins, but almost all of the work is on the other side of the building from the classrooms. We are working hard to minimize the impact on our students’ education. Work is underway in the main entrance, front pickup and drop-off loop, main office, gymnasium, and the media center. While this work continues, we will use the alternative pickup and drop-off procedure that was implemented in the spring of last year. Please see the map and details included in this letter.

Windows are being replaced in many of our classrooms. You will notice that 10 classrooms have plywood where new windows have yet to be installed. Window replacement for these classrooms will be completed two at a time during the first quarter of the year. In the meantime, know that the temporary plywood is fire retardant and approved by the fire inspector, and each classroom has an egress (exit) window and temporary air conditioner. We are pleased to let you know that support from the Boys and Girls Club is being offered to
West Shore students.

During the three-day delay, Boys and Girls Club has offered to open its doors from 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. for West Shore students, free of charge! Please contact the Club at 203 713-8055 to let them know if your child (children) may be attending. We are grateful to the Boys and Girls Club for reaching out to us and offering their help.
Finally, I wish to express how very excited I am about this project for our school. There will be challenges, but the final product will be worth it. Our school community is the BEST and I know we will continue to work together toward a beautifully renovated school. As always, I thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mr. Hayes or me. WEST IS BEST!