Willington Voters Approve $98.64 Million For Up-Front School Project Funding In Tuesday Referendum

WILLINGTON, CT — Voters in a Tuesday referendum overwhelmingly approved up-front funding for a proposal to build a new consolidated pre-school through eighth-grade education complex that would replace the town's two existing schools.

The unofficial tally was 976 yes votes to 351 no votes.

The total approved was $98.64 million in bonding, with most of that amount expected to come back to the town through state reimbursement.

The proposed new school would bring students from Center Elementary School, which serves pre-school through Grade 4, and Hall Memorial School, which serves Grades 5 through 8, into one new building.

Building a new school rather than renovating the existing buildings was the preferred option in a previous town poll.

The project has an estimated cost of $98.64 million, with about $9.08 million expected to be covered by Willington taxpayers before bonding, according to Superintendent of Schools Phil Stevens.

The project is expected to receive a 94.58 perecent reimbursement from the state, a rate significantly higher than the typical maximum, Stevens said.

State Rep. Tammy Nuccio and state Sen. Jeff Gordon helped Willington secure the higher reimbursement rate.

Gordon said he and Nuccio helped increase an initial estimated reimbursement rate of 65 percent to about 80 percent two legislative sessions ago. Additional funding for early childhood education later increased the projected reimbursement rate to 94.58 percent, he said.

Gordon also secured a state space waiver that will allow the school system to maximize the building's square footage.

The proposal is the culmination of work by the Willington School Building Committee, along with local and state officials, town officials said.

Stevens said the project would address both declining enrollment and the age and condition of the town's existing school buildings.

Center Elementary is more than 70 years old, while Hall Memorial is more than 100 years old. Both buildings require significant repairs, including work on HVAC systems, roofs, electrical systems and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.

Repair estimates for the existing schools exceed $30 million for Willington taxpayers, Stevens said. Those repairs would not address all of the challenges associated with maintaining the two aging buildings.

The proposed consolidated school would be built adjacent to the current Hall Memorial School property.

Stevens said the unusually high state reimbursement rate gives Willington an opportunity to replace both aging schools while limiting the local financial impact. He said the project could serve the community for decades and provide a modern learning environment.

According to Stevens, bonding costs associated with the new school would be offset in part by operational savings from consolidating two schools into one, primarily through staffing savings.

The town also plans to apply about $3.6 million already set aside for a school project during the third year of a four-year funding plan, Stevens said.