Committee recommends exploring new 6–8 middle school; calls for town Building Committee

The Newtown Board of Education Ad Hoc Facilities Planning Committee voted unanimously to recommend that the Board of Education consider building a new 6–8 middle school and converting Reed into a 4th/5th intermediate school. Ben Rubin moved the recommendation and Jessica Ibbitson seconded; the motion passed unanimously.

The committee made the recommendation after reviewing a master plan and capacity analysis presented by Superintendent Anne Uberti showing multiple options for addressing middle‑school facility needs and noting that estimated costs could exceed previous estimates. The committee said the ad‑hoc group has completed its work and recommended forming a town Building Committee to pursue detailed feasibility studies, site investigations, updated enrollment projections, renovation cost estimates, state reimbursement analysis, and community engagement.

The motion asks the Board of Selectmen and Legislative Council to form the Building Committee to lead next steps. The committee emphasized that the intermediate‑school concept (grades 4–5) should be considered as one component of a broader, district‑wide facilities strategy rather than a stand‑alone solution. The meeting minutes state the motion passed unanimously; no roll‑call vote tally was recorded in the minutes.

Next steps identified for the Building Committee include site evaluation, updated enrollment and capacity projections, more detailed cost estimates, determining potential state reimbursement opportunities and requirements, and formalizing a public engagement plan.