Norwalk City Board reviews PreK–8 schematic design and accepts nearly $399,000 anonymous land donation

The Norwalk City School District Board of Education on Dec. 16 received a schematic-design update for the district’s planned PreK–8 building and voted to accept an anonymous donation of land valued at $398,922 that will be used for the campus.

District project staff and the design team described the site plan and floor plan, placing the new building across the street from Norwalk High School with separate bus and parent drives, staged parent drop-off lanes designed to allow two-wide stacking, separated playgrounds for preschool and elementary children, and both single- and two-story academic wings. The presenter said the project is in the schematic design phase and that the team, working with CT Taylor, will develop cost estimates in January.

Board members asked detailed questions about parent drop-off circulation and confirmed that the board office will not be included in the new school. The architects said media-center spaces will be distributed within learning communities rather than in one central library.

Separately, the board announced it closed on purchase of the land and that an anonymous donor provided nearly $400,000 toward that purchase. Treasurer Joyce reported the formal donated value as $398,922 and said the gift meant the district would not have to use project funds for the closing. The board moved and recorded a roll-call vote approving the appropriation/transfer and acceptance of the donated land.

The district’s next steps, as presented, are completion of the schematic documents, development of cost estimates with CT Taylor in January, and continued coordination with the owner’s representative and state partners. The board recorded the vote to accept the donation and to apply the transfer that reduces future bond obligations.