East Windsor Schools Eye $145M Overhaul

EAST WINDSOR, CT — East Windsor Public Schools is laying the groundwork for a potential major overhaul of its aging school buildings, with district leaders preparing for a bond referendum that could go before voters this fall.

Superintendent Dr. Patrick Tudryn said the effort follows years of assessments and planning focused on the long-term condition of the district’s three schools, which were originally built in the 1950s and 1960s.

According to an email from district officials, the proposed projects would include a renovate-to-new plan at Broad Brook Elementary School and construction of a new combined middle and high school facility on the current high school campus. The estimated total cost is approximately $145 million.

The referendum, if advanced, would ask voters to approve a general obligation bond on Nov. 3, 2026.

District leaders said the planning process has included facility assessments, educational programming reviews, financial analysis and the creation of an ad hoc committee made up of school board members, administrators, town officials and community members.

In 2023, the district sought state grants to upgrade HVAC systems after several fall days saw classroom temperatures reach 90 degrees, prompting cancellations. However, a required feasibility study uncovered building envelope deficiencies at each school, making the district ineligible for those HVAC grants.

Town officials have indicated they could recommend up to $30 million in local taxpayer funding toward the projects, with the primary funding mechanism expected to be state school construction reimbursement. The current reimbursement rate is 63.21 percent, though district officials are seeking a target rate of 80 percent. The final percentage is expected to be determined by late spring.

The district is continuing community outreach efforts, including an information session scheduled for Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. in the Broad Brook Elementary School gymnasium. More details are available on the district’s facilities website.