A new West Woods school was supposed to come to Hamden but it looks like it will have to wait.
In 2016 the legislative council approved a $26 million project proposing to build a smaller school, but as of this year that is no longer the case.
The new school is no longer being built because the town missed the Oct. 31 date to start construction. Although the town missed their date to start construction Superintendent Jody Goeler says a new West Woods Elementary school is still possible.
West Woods Elementary School. Photo credit: Cam Silver
The reason for a new West Woods building was due to an ongoing water intrusion in the building because of an old roof and HVAC system. And now because there will not be a new school, the town still has to address these needs.
The company that’s supposed to be building the new school, Silver Petrucelli and Associates, is going to conduct a water study to see if the current building site or new construction site will be suitable for a building in the long term. They are expected to have a report by mid January.
Last fall Hamden Board of Education proposed a 3R plan which is to balance elementary schools, move 6th grade to middle school and consolidate schools. The Board of Education also wanted to renovate West Woods instead of building a new one but the state required Hamden to stick to the plan of building a new structure.
Goeler wrote a letter to the state requesting an extension on West Woods and Alice Peck Elementary School projects. The state rescinded the money for West Woods but they will still be renovating other schools like, Alice Peak elementary and Hamden Middle School.
“There was never a grant. It was a percentage of construction cost reimbursement that was agreed upon by the state of Connecticut.” said Karen Kaplan Director of Program Innovation, Technology & Communications.
Hamden Middle School is on the priority list in 2020 for a new wing for sixth graders. This project will allow Hamden to get a reimbursement to begin the project and is estimated to take 15 months.
To learn more information like, Hamden’s plans for the new schools, projected timelines and expected completion dates, visit their websites.