Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Facilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board deadlocks on Edgewood school renovation request; vote to seek $12 million delayed
Summary
The Bristol Board of Education split on whether to reclassify Edgewood Elementary’s project as a full renovation and request an additional $12 million from city finance bodies; the motion ended in a tie and will return to the board at a special meeting.
The Bristol Board of Education voted on Sept. 10 on whether to classify the Edgewood Free School project as a full renovation and ask the Board of Finance and City Council for an additional $12 million. The motion resulted in a tie and failed; the board agreed to revisit the request at a special meeting this month.
Board members and district staff described two paths under review: a targeted alteration under the previously approved $16.8 million budget, and a renovate-as-new option that increases total project cost estimates but raises the state reimbursement rate. Tara (staff member) told the board the renovate-as-new budget would be about $28.8 million, with an estimated Bristol cost share of $4,420,000 because the facility would qualify for a higher reimbursement as an early-childhood site.
Supporters said the renovate-as-new option would allow a full transformation of the building and site, bring the facility up to current code and functionality, and—because early-childhood projects receive higher state reimbursement—could lower the city’s net share. Opponents said they needed more time and data, including enrollment modeling and the feasibility study, before approving the additional local ask.
The board discussed other options the building committee considered, including a targeted alteration with an updated scope and a renovation-plus-addition option. District staff said the $16.8 million figure lacks contingency and that previously unanticipated work (including roofing and code compliance) likely would add roughly $4 million to the targeted-alteration estimate.
Tara and staff said the state reimbursement assumptions driving the renovate-as-new calculation include: the district’s current reimbursement estimate for targeted alteration of 69.64 percent; an early-childhood boost that raises that reimbursement to about 84.64 percent for the full renovation; and a possible additional special-education reimbursement, which staff said could increase the effective reimbursement further (staff described a scenario that could approach 99 percent but said that is not guaranteed).
The motion on Sept. 10 to approve the renovate-as-new request and seek the additional $12 million failed on a tie. The chair said the board will place the item on the agenda for a full-board special meeting later this month so members can consider the feasibility study and additional details before voting again.
Background: the building committee recommended changing the project classification after reviewing four options and engaging an architectural firm. Staff said, if the board proceeds and obtains local approvals, the district would submit an amended request to the Connecticut State Department of Education for reimbursement under the school construction program.
Next steps: the board will schedule a special meeting to reconsider the request after receiving the October 1 enrollment figures and the feasibility study presentation.
