Schools
Ridgefield School Board Committee Reviews Elementary School Consolidation Options
Ridgefield school officials reviewed options ranging from facility upgrades to school consolidation and new construction.
RIDGEFIELD, CT — The Ridgefield Board of Education's Strategic Planning Committee reviewed a series of preliminary elementary school facilities scenarios June 12 that range from maintaining the district's current six-school configuration to consolidating schools and constructing a new elementary facility at Veterans Park.
Committee members emphasized that the options presented by consultants from MP Planning Group and StudioJAED are exploratory and intended to guide future discussion as part of the district's master planning process. No decisions were made on any of the scenarios, and committee members said additional meetings will be held over the summer before recommendations are presented to the full Board of Education.
The most significant proposals involve building a new elementary school at Veterans Park and potentially closing either Branchville Elementary School or Scotland Elementary School. Consultants said a townwide site analysis found no viable municipal properties suitable for new school construction beyond existing school sites, making Veterans Park the district's strongest opportunity for major new development because of its size, central location and access to public water and sewer service.
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One scenario would construct a new approximately 488-student elementary school at Veterans Park, expand Farmingville Elementary School and close Branchville Elementary School. Another would build a larger facility at Veterans Park while maintaining Branchville and closing Scotland Elementary School. A third option would combine a new Veterans Park school with expanded district pre-kindergarten programming.
Consultants also presented options that would maintain the district's existing school configuration while addressing building infrastructure needs, including heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical systems, roofs and windows. Some scenarios would also incorporate the former Cadence Academy space at Barlow Mountain Elementary School into district operations, allowing expansion of full-day pre-kindergarten programming and additional classroom capacity.
MP Planning Group representatives said several alternatives were eliminated from consideration after analysis. Those included creating a combined grades 8-12 configuration at Ridgefield High School and consolidating all middle school students into a single building. Consultants concluded the district's current configuration of two middle schools and one high school remains the most practical arrangement given enrollment projections, building capacities and educational considerations.
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Earlier in the meeting, RPS Director of Facilities Joe Morits reported that construction of the district's new Alternative School building is nearly complete. Morits said all major inspections have been finished, life-safety systems are operational, and furniture installation is scheduled for early July. Remaining work includes finalizing building access controls and securing an Eversource license needed to complete a fiber-optic connection to the site. Site improvements, including walkways, drainage work, grading and paving, are expected to continue through the summer.
Superintendent Susie Da Silva also updated the committee on discussions regarding renovations to the Ridgefield High School auditorium. Da Silva recommended postponing further consideration of auditorium design concepts until later this year, citing the need to keep that project separate from the districtwide master planning effort. Committee members generally agreed to revisit the auditorium discussion in the fall after additional master planning work is completed.
Committee Chairman Scott Sigel said future meetings will focus on narrowing the range of facilities options and gathering feedback from board members and the community. Committee members discussed holding additional working sessions during the summer to review the proposals in greater detail and compile questions for consultants before the next phase of planning.
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