Board Votes On School Closures, Facilities Overhaul Plan In Milford

MILFORD, CT — Milford’s Board of Education voted this week to adopt a long-term facilities master plan that would reshape the district over the next two decades, including school consolidations, new construction projects and the eventual closure of three schools.

The plan passed in a 7-2 vote after several hours of discussion.

Under the adopted “Scenario A” plan, the district would eventually move from eight elementary schools to six and from three middle schools to two. Harborside Middle School would close, along with Calf Pen Meadow and Meadowside elementary schools.

The first phase would focus on rebuilding JFK and Live Oaks elementary schools on their current sites while students remain in the existing buildings during construction. The district would then shift to middle school projects, with West Shore and East Shore students temporarily moving into Harborside during construction periods.

Consultants from Perkins Eastman said the district’s aging buildings and declining enrollment made a long-range plan necessary. Many schools were built in the 1950s and 1960s, and several are approaching the point where replacement is more cost effective than continued repairs. The total cost of the district's overhaul is expected to be at least $1.5 billion, consultants have said.

Board leaders emphasized that Monday’s vote does not approve funding for any construction project. Instead, they described the plan as a blueprint that will guide future capital requests and annual discussions with city officials.

Related: Board To Vote On Massive School Overhaul Proposal In Milford

Public comment reflected both support and concern.

One resident thanked the board for its work and said the district’s buildings need major upgrades, adding support for a “middle school first plan.”

Others urged the board not to close Calf Pen Meadow, arguing the loss of neighborhood schools would hurt Milford’s sense of community. One resident said larger schools may create efficiencies, but warned the district could lose “small town character and our small school communities.”

Several speakers also raised concerns about the use of portable classrooms during construction and the uncertainty of future city funding. One resident questioned whether the district should move ahead without guarantees that all phases of the plan could be completed.

Board members acknowledged the concerns but said delaying action would only worsen conditions in aging schools.

“We just have to start,” one board member said before the vote.

View the full meeting by clicking here.

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