Region 15 board hears unanimous feasibility-committee recommendation to study building a combined elementary campus; authorizes property search

Regional School District 15's Board of Education on a regularly scheduled meeting reviewed the feasibility study committee's recommendation that the district pursue a new, combined elementary school campus and authorized staff to begin exploring potential properties and next steps.

The feasibility committee, which met multiple times over the past year, recommended constructing a single campus that would house two elementary-school programs (described in the study as “a school-within-a-school” or two schools, one campus) on a new site rather than renovating both existing elementary buildings. The committee’s rationale included long-term educational configuration, state reimbursement formulas that can favor new construction, and the district’s current building conditions. The committee vote on the recommendation was unanimous, the presenter reported.

Why it matters: committee members and board members said the recommendation could materially affect the district’s capital plan, the amount of state reimbursement the district could obtain for construction, the configuration of preschool and special-education space, and the timing of a possible referendum. Board members stressed that no final decision has been made and that the recommendation is a next step to evaluate viability.

Committee findings and board discussion

Sally (staff member), who presented the study summary and the committee’s recommendation, told the board the feasibility work included about a year of meetings with principals, teachers, parents and town officials and eleven committee meetings plus stakeholder conversations. Sally said the study compared renovating each existing school with building new and found that, because of reimbursement rules and the scope of required updates, new construction had become the most feasible of the options studied.

Sally summarized two principal options the committee prioritized: 1) build a combined campus (two schools on one site, sharing back-of-house spaces such as a central kitchen and some utilities) and 2) build two new schools on separate sites (or rebuild on each existing site). The committee also identified a fallback option of renovating on site if acquiring a suitable property proved infeasible.

Sally said the committee considered legislative changes that might affect reimbursement: a legislative proposal that would add a roughly 15% reimbursement enhancement for including a preschool in a project and a similar enhancement for dedicated special-education program space. She told the board the district’s effective reimbursement rate today is in the mid-40s percentage range and that adding the preschool and special-education program could materially increase the overall reimbursement rate. She cautioned that the legislation had not been fully finalized and that some Department of Administrative Services regulatory activity might also affect reimbursement.

Board members asked questions about the size of a combined campus, traffic and drop-off logistics, social-emotional impacts on younger students, whether the district could find an adequate parcel in Southbury, timing for a referendum and how sale of the existing elementary properties would be handled. Members emphasized the need for site visits to comparable schools, thorough scheduling plans for shared spaces (music, gym, cafeteria), and community engagement before a referendum.

Property search authorization

Sally asked whether the board was comfortable directing staff to begin contacting potential property owners and the town to identify parcels that could accommodate a combined campus. She framed the ask as a nonbinding authorization to explore properties and report back. The board agreed that staff should begin a confidential search and bring candidate sites to the board (including executive-session briefings where appropriate). "Are you okay with us looking for properties?" Sally asked; the board supported moving forward with the search.

Timeline and next steps

Presenters and board members discussed a backwards timetable aimed at a May 2026 referendum if the board ultimately decides to go to voters. Staff said they will: continue the property search, prepare more detailed cost and reimbursement modeling (with Tekton or other consultants), schedule site visits to comparable projects, and bring proposed sites and updated numbers back to the board for further discussion (including the option of executive session for property negotiations).

Other board actions (Votes at a glance)

- Amendment to agenda to add approval of school enterprises for the 2025–26 school year — motion to amend by Shannon (board member), seconded by Steve (board member); voice vote to add the item; outcome: approved.

- Transfer of 2024–25 excess-cost revenue of $417,191 into the educational expense account — motion to approve by Tom (board member), seconded by Sally (staff member); outcome: approved (voice vote).

- Approval of 2025–26 school lunch prices (25-cent increase) — motion to approve by Shannon (board member), seconded by Steve (board member); outcome: approved (voice vote).

- Approval of May 27 regular meeting minutes — motion made and seconded; outcome: approved (voice vote).

What the board did not decide

Board members and staff repeatedly stressed the presentation was advisory and not a final decision. The board did not approve a specific site, does not yet have a full cost estimate to present to voters, and did not schedule a referendum. Several board members said the next key question is whether a suitable parcel (the presentation suggested sites would likely need to be in the Southbury area and that 15 acres or so of usable site area is a typical planning yardstick) can be identified.

Closing and next steps

Staff will continue property outreach with the town and private owners, refine cost and reimbursement calculations, return with candidate sites and additional detail, and hold site visits to comparable schools so board members can evaluate operational and social impacts before any formal decision about a referendum.

The meeting also included student recognitions and retiree tributes; those items were presented earlier in the agenda and were not the subject of board action beyond standard recognition.