NEWTOWN, CT — Newtown officials have taken another step toward a potential new middle school after the Legislative Council reportedly approved preliminary planning for the project earlier this month.
The council unanimously approved a charge authorizing preliminary work during its Oct. 7 meeting, according to a recap shared by council member Ben Ruben.
That work could include architectural evaluations, potential building sites, cost estimates and an examination of available state reimbursement.
The decision does not authorize construction of a new school. Any future construction proposal would require additional town approvals, including a referendum, according to Ruben.
The move follows an August recommendation from the Newtown Board of Education to pursue a new middle school serving grades six through eight.
The school board voted 6-0-1 on Aug. 11 to recommend moving forward with the proposal after a facilities assessment identified approximately $97.6 million in capital needs across district schools over the next decade.
About $40 million of those needs were associated with the existing Newtown Middle School, while another $26 million was tied to Middle Gate School.
The $40 million figure represents identified capital needs at the current middle school, not the estimated cost of building a replacement.
The proposed grade configuration could also have implications for other schools.
Currently, Reed Intermediate School serves fifth- and sixth-graders, while Newtown Middle School serves seventh- and eighth-graders.
Moving sixth grade into a new middle school would free up space at Reed, potentially allowing the district to repurpose the building.
However, enrollment projections have raised questions about how much space the district would have under different configurations.
Middle Gate School is projected to reach approximately 101 percent capacity during the 2029-30 school year.
Under one scenario examined by the district's facilities planning committee, converting Reed into an elementary school would leave the town's four K-5 schools operating at approximately 99.5 percent capacity by 2030-31, with room for only about nine additional students districtwide.
The district has not identified a final construction cost or location for a new middle school.
The preliminary planning process is intended to help officials evaluate those questions before deciding whether to advance a construction proposal.
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