TONIGHT: Southington Unveils Timeline For Massive School Building Project, Hearing Tonight

SOUTHINGTON, CT — A month after the Southington Board of Education committed to a massive, $104.3 million school building/renovation project, the project's timeline was made clearer this week.

The Southington Town Council will host a public hearing tonight on a proposed referendum tied to the major elementary school construction plan.

According to Southington Town Manager Alex Ricciardone, the hearing is scheduled for the council’s Monday, March 23, meeting and will allow residents to weigh in before any referendum question is finalized.

That hearing will be at 7 p.m. at the John J. Weichsel Municipal Center in Southington, 196 N. Main St.

“The Southington Board of Education has approved an elementary school construction project involving Kelly and Flanders Elementary Schools,” Ricciardone said in a timeline released Thursday. “As the next step in the process, the town council will hold a public hearing on a proposed public referendum at the March 23, 2026, town council meeting.”

“This hearing is an opportunity for residents to provide input before any referendum question is considered,” Ricciardone said, adding that “all Southington residents are encouraged to attend and share their thoughts during the public hearing.”

The school board voted 8–1 on Feb. 19 to adopt a two-phase facilities plan, which would send a school construction proposal to voters in June and ultimately close Flanders Elementary School.

The first phase would ask voters in a June 2026 referendum to approve construction of a new, larger Kelley Elementary School and an expansion of the lower level at South End Elementary School.

If approved, the district would close Flanders Elementary after the projects are completed and redraw attendance boundaries for its seven remaining elementary schools.

District officials estimate the total local share of the projects at about $104.3 million.

That includes $43.9 million for the new Kelley Elementary School and South End expansion, and $60.5 million for a new Derynoski Elementary School and a new Karen Smith Academy.

Under the board’s plan, construction tied to the Kelley and South End projects would begin after the referendum and a state grant application process, with consolidation targeted for fall 2030.

A second phase would require another referendum at a later date to build a new Derynoski Elementary School and relocate the Karen Smith Academy to the lower level of the new facility.

During public comment at the Feb. 19 meeting, several residents urged the board not to close Flanders Elementary School.

The board’s vote advances the district’s long-discussed facilities master plan but does not authorize construction.

The first binding decision will come from voters if the referendum is placed on the ballot in June.

School officials previously explored the same proposal in 2023 but delayed it, citing tight deadlines for state grant applications and staffing issues at the state education department.

The March 23 Town Council hearing is expected to be the next step before any referendum question is formally considered.

From Feb. 26: 'Southington Plans To Close One School Amid Massive School Construction Project'