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Southington Board approves two-phase master facilities plan; first referendum set for June 2026
Summary
After hours of public comment, the Southington Board of Education voted 8–1 on Feb. 19 to adopt a two-phase master facilities plan (scenario D2) that would build a new Kelly Elementary and expand South End in phase 1 and proposes a future phase 2 to rebuild Daronofsky and add a Karen Smith Academy; district and state reimbursement estimates and a June referendum were discussed.
The Southington Board of Education voted 8–1 on Feb. 19 to adopt a districtwide master facilities plan that would move forward with a phased building program aimed at modernizing three of the district’s oldest elementary schools.
Pat Gallagher of MP Planning Group summarized the multi-year process behind the recommendation, saying the committee sought a balance between instructional needs, site constraints and fiscally responsible outcomes. "We looked at a lot of different data," Gallagher said, urging that scenario D2—selected by the facilities committee—best meets the district’s goal of operating schools in the 85–90% utilization range while addressing aging facilities.
Nut graf: The board’s approved plan calls for a June 2026 referendum for phase 1—construction of a new Kelly Elementary School (expanded to four sections per grade) and an interior expansion at South End—followed later by a possible phase 2 referendum to replace Daronofsky and build a new Karen Smith Academy. Supporters said the phased approach maximizes state reimbursement and avoids ad-hoc…
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