Milford Board narrows long‑range facilities plan, asks city about Simon Lake parcel as swing‑space solution

The Milford Board of Education’s Committee of the Whole reviewed revised phasing options for a long‑range facilities plan on April 27, 2026, then narrowed its preferred framework and directed administrators to check city interest in a potential new site.

Perkins Eastman principals led the presentation and framed the choice by condition data: "Most of your buildings were built in the 50s, 60s, and 70s and certainly are reaching ... critical point in their infrastructure," consultant Patrick Davis told the board, citing the district’s Facility Condition Index and its implications for major capital decisions.

Consultants walked trustees through five sequencing scenarios. The first proposed building two elementary schools (JFK and Live Oaks) first, followed by middle‑school projects and the remainder of elementary and high‑school work. Other options would start with high schools or with middle schools; the consultants also described a hybrid plan and a fifth scenario that relies on acquiring a new west‑side parcel (identified in the presentation as 14 Benham Ave / "Simon Lake") to relieve swing‑space constraints.

Board members and consultants repeatedly flagged one core operational problem: where to house students while projects are under construction. Davis said many elementary properties could host on‑site construction next to occupied buildings, but middle‑school projects require more contiguous space or dedicated swing sites. "There's only one swing space," he told the board, referring to Harborside in several scenarios, "so those students would have to remain in that building until you open up additional swing space for closed schools." (Paraphrase attributed to Patrick Davis.)

Trustees debated tradeoffs. A high‑school‑first approach drew skepticism because large high‑school projects would be costly and would push needed elementary consolidations many years into the future. Several board members favored minimizing the number of times an individual cohort would be moved: "We don't want kids going through multiple moves into schools that are still not renovated over and over again," public commenter Amanda Clark said during the public‑comment period.

By late meeting discussion the board settled on a narrowed framework: eliminate the high‑school‑first option; prioritize two elementary rebuilds first (JFK and Live Oaks); and pursue the newly identified west‑side parcel to host a future West Shore middle school so current middle‑school buildings can serve as appropriate swing space. If the city parcel is not available, the board directed administration to treat Harborside as a contingency swing site and to plan for portables and necessary short‑term upgrades.

The board asked staff to return by the May 11 business meeting with two discrete products: (1) an update on city discussions about the Benham Ave/Simon Lake parcel and the Boys & Girls Club timeline; and (2) a bus/run analysis showing how swing‑space assignments (for example, East Shore students temporarily attending West Shore) would affect ride times and bus counts. Trustees also asked the consultants to map costs and any red flags for the preferred and contingency sequences.

The meeting closed after public comment from residents who pressed for clearer consolidation and redistricting plans, and who urged the board to weigh community stability and student program continuity as it advances a decades‑long facility program.

Next procedural steps: staff will seek city input on the Simon Lake parcel and produce the requested bus‑routing analysis; the board will revisit the narrowed plan at its May 11 meeting, at which members may take formal action.