Willington Nearing Referendum On New PreK-8 School

WILLINGTON, CT — Willington is nearing a referendum on a proposal to build a new consolidated pre-school through eighth grade education complex that would replace the town's two existing schools.

The proposed new school would bring students from Center Elementary School, which serves preschool through fourth grade, and Hall Memorial School, which serves grades five through eight, into one new building.

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Building a new school over renovations was the popular choice in a past poll.

The project has an estimated cost of $98.64 million, with an estimated $9.08 million to be covered by Willington taxpayers before bonding, according to Superintendent of Schools Phil Stevens.

Then, there is a reimbursement rate about 30 percentage points higher than the usual max. The project is expected to receive an estimated 94.58 percent reimbursement from the state. State Rep. Tammy Nuccio and state Sen. Jeff Gordon helped Willington secure the higher reimbursement rate, Stevens said.

Gordon said he and Nuccio, two legislative sessions ago, were able to secure a deal that took an initial 65 percent reimbursement estimate to about 80 percent. They were then able to roll out additional funding for early childhood education that brought the rate to 94.58 percent, Gordon said.

Gordon was also able to secure a space waiver state so the school system can maximize the square footage.

"It's a phenominal deal," Gordon said.

"The proposal is the culmination of extensive work by the Willington School Building Committee, along with local and state officials," officials said.

Stevens said the project provides an opportunity to address both declining enrollment and the age and condition of the town's existing school buildings.

Center Elementary is more than 70 years old, while Hall Memorial is more than 100 years old. Both buildings require significant repairs, including work involving HVAC systems, roofs, electrical systems and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.

Repair estimates for the existing schools exceed $30 million for Willington taxpayers, Stevens said, and those repairs would not resolve all of the challenges associated with the two aging buildings.

The proposed consolidated school would be built adjacent to the current Hall Memorial School property.

Said Stevens on Tuesday, "Willington has a tremendous opportunity to build a consolidated preschool through grade 8 school with its 94.58 percent reimbursement rate. This once-in-a-lifetime reimbursement rate could set the town of Willington up for the next 50 years. The ability to build a new school with a projected tax decrease makes this project highly favorable for taxpayers while creating a 21st-century learning environment. "

According to Stevens, bonding costs associated with the new school would be offset by operational savings resulting from consolidating two schools into one, primarily through staffing savings. The town also would apply funds already set aside for a school project — about $3.6 million in year three of a four-year plan.

The net impact on Willington's tax rate is expected to decrease as a result of completing the project, Stevens said.

The municipality hosted a Town Meeting Tuesday to review the plans. The meeting served as a prelude to a referendum on the project, currently planned for Tuesday, Sept. 29.