Willington committee lays out three consolidated‑school options and warns of a key state decision risk

The Willington School Building Committee on July 27 presented three consolidated‑school options and the financial trade‑offs tied to each, urging the community to consider the rare high reimbursement rates available now.

Jeff Wazinski of Technon Architects summarized the options: additions and renovations to the current middle school to create a pre‑K–8, new construction on the existing site, or a new campus on a different parcel. He told the committee the project budgets and estimated state reimbursement rates make consolidated options financially preferable to a long, phased repair program. “The renovate status is not a given. It’s part of the grant application,” Wazinski said, describing the state process and the risk that a renovation claim could be rejected during grant review.

Committee project leader Scott Feldman added that the state will not opine on whether a project will be approved until the grant packet is filed and the architect certifies whether renovation is cheaper than new construction. The team’s debt‑servicing scenarios showed three bond events over 10 years, use of capital reserves through 2031, and a likely operating start date for a new building in fall 2031 (2032 for renovate‑to‑new options). Presenters estimated the town share in a repair‑only scenario at roughly $60 million over a decade, versus a significantly smaller town share under the consolidated options because of higher reimbursement rates.

The presentation flagged uncertainty as a central risk: until the grant is submitted and reviewed, the committee cannot guarantee which option the state will treat as eligible for the higher reimbursement. The SBC said it plans community polling in early August and a targeted referendum on Sept. 29 so voters can weigh the three consolidated options against the alternative of continuing repairs.