The Wallingford Board of Education voted July 28 to add 17 classrooms to the proposed educational specifications for a single new high school and then approved the ed specs as amended, a change district staff estimated would add about $5 million to $6 million in construction cost.

Why it matters: The addition of full classrooms instead of shared teacher workspaces increases the building size and the district's projected cost and will affect reimbursement calculations tied to state standards. Board members debated trade-offs between teacher workspace models, future enrollment growth and the availability of a site large enough for potential future expansions.

What happened at the meeting: Board member Regan moved to remove the shared workspaces and replace them with 17 full classrooms; the motion included an approximate added construction cost of $5 million to $6 million. After discussion and a roll-call vote, the motion passed. The board then voted to approve the full educational specifications document as amended.

Debate and context: Supporters said providing individual classrooms responds to teacher preferences and would avoid the morale and practical issues some staff reported with shared spaces. "If teachers want their own classrooms and they've spoken out about it, I would absolutely support the classrooms," Board member Versace said.

Opponents said the extra cost is large; some members warned the district should not increase capital expenditures until the town secures and confirms a buildable site and emphasized that shared workspaces make future expansion easier if enrollment grows. Board member Roscoe said he did not think the additional expense was fiscally responsible at this time.

Cost and capacity: District staff and consultants told the board that adding the 17 classrooms would increase the building footprint and add an estimated $5 million to $6 million to project cost. Staff also said, based on current programing and projected enrollment, the 17 classrooms as drafted would accommodate assigning a classroom to each teacher under the proposed program; however, members noted that enrollment projections and final site size could change that need.

Operational notes and next steps: The board directed staff to continue site viability assessments and finalize any cost estimates before moving to design and state reimbursement planning. Superintendent Belizzi said the district is still waiting for a finalized wetlands report to determine site viability; the ed specs approval proceeds in advance of a confirmed site so the district and its consultants can continue planning.

Closing: The vote moves the educational programming forward but leaves questions about exact cost-to-taxpayer, site capacity for expansion and how staffing assignments will be managed if enrollment grows or programing changes.