Willington committee lays out three PK–8 consolidation options, shows $94M–$97M price tags and high state reimbursement

The Town of Willington’s School Building Committee presented three options for consolidating Center School and Hall Memorial into a single pre‑K through 8 facility, providing cost estimates, site constraints and a timeline that hinges on a June 30, 2027 state grant deadline.

Chair Jim Marshall opened the meeting by saying the committee was formed this year to evaluate whether to take advantage of recent state statute changes that increase reimbursement rates. First Selectman Mike McMahon told residents, “when I ran for office last year, we talked a lot about our school,” and urged voters to weigh options carefully because “this is a big, big decision” that will affect the town’s children for decades.

The consulting team from SKA Architects described three conceptual paths: (1) an additions and renovations strategy estimated at about $96.8 million for roughly 105,000 square feet with an expected 48‑month construction timeline; (2) new construction on the existing site at about $94.6 million and roughly 101,000 square feet (including removal of the old building); and (3) new construction on an adjacent parcel (combined site area ~34.2 acres, ~24 usable) estimated at about $95.7 million. Presenters said the state’s special legislation raises the typical reimbursement range to roughly 93–95%, which would reduce the town’s share on the options shown to approximately $9.4–10.0 million.

Derek of SKA told the audience the team factored owner contingency and soft costs into the totals and emphasized that these projects include hard‑to‑predict items such as hazardous‑material abatement in older buildings. He also noted that some site constraints — floodplain setbacks and existing leaching fields beneath parking areas — limit where additions or a new building can be sited.

The team included estimated costs for key components in the totals: septic replacement at about $850,000–$950,000 and a solar array at roughly $2.4–$2.9 million were shown as included in the presented budgets. Presenters said energy upgrades and geothermal/photovoltaic investments can have much shorter payback when covered at the stated reimbursement levels and when combined with utility and federal rebates.

Educational programming informed the layouts: a subsequent presentation on 21st‑century learning emphasized small learning communities, flexible classrooms and adjacent specialized spaces. Tony, a presenter on the educational program, said teacher and student input from a recent think tank shaped the design principles, including flexible furniture, breakout rooms and stronger outdoor connections.

Presenters repeatedly flagged the grant application cycle and timeline implications: a complete application is typically reviewed through a state process that can take about a year and the committee named June 30, 2027 as a critical milestone to preserve the special reimbursement window. The team said construction could realistically start in mid‑2028 with a ribbon‑cutting for new construction potentially in fall 2030; phased occupied renovation options would likely extend the schedule.

Next steps laid out for residents included ongoing design refinement, additional community meetings, posting an FAQ and the technical materials online, and preparations for a town referendum this fall (the committee has discussed an October date). Any purchase of the adjacent parcel would be contingent on voter approval and would require two appraisals for grant eligibility; amounts paid above appraisal may be ineligible for reimbursement.

The committee emphasized these figures are preliminary; final costs, operational savings and debt‑service scenarios will be refined with the Board of Education, the town’s financial advisor and the owner’s project manager. The Committee plans to post more data and life‑cycle cost analyses for energy investments so voters can see payback scenarios before any referendum.