School Projects Approved

By Jan Howard

Two school projects were unanimously approved at a special town meeting December 3 at the C.H. Booth meeting room.

A handful of residents in addition to school and town officials approved $400,000 for planning, design, and construction of new classrooms at Newtown High School and $245,000 for architectural and engineering services for the planning and design of renovation to the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system at Head O’ Meadow Elementary School.

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal, who moderated the meeting, advised voters that both project proposals had been submitted during the budget process last year and were anticipated in the town’s debt service accounts.

The high school project was passed without comment. Some residents raised concerns, however, about the HVAC system at Head O’ Meadow, including the selection process for the firm that would do the initial study, cost of the total project, and whether planning for HVAC systems in other schools would mean a lower cost overall.

School officials have said the high school expansion is needed because of growth in the school’s population. In July, Superintendent of Schools Dr Evan Pitkoff said that the school, which had been extended to serve 1,600 students, was expected to grow by 105 this school year for a total of 1,532 and by 2011–12 to approximately 2,000.

The expansion would create four to six additional classrooms.

Ron Bienkowski said the firm that would do planning, design, and schematics for the HVAC project at Head O’ Meadow, identified as Consulting Engineering Services, Inc, of Middletown, was endorsed by the town’s Public Buildings and Site Commission. The cost of the entire project is $4 million.

He said the system would replace mechanical systems installed in 1977 that have outlived their expected life. The new system, he noted, would provide a more effective HVAC system for the school, which was first constructed with open classrooms. The open classrooms have been enclosed, and the redesign would ensure a higher comfort level throughout the school.

Mr Bienkowski said a Climate Control Committee looked at all the schools and made a plan for completion of HVAC projects over five years in the school’s Capital Improvement Plan.

“Head O’ Meadow is the first because it is considered the most critical,” he said.

He said each school’s HVAC system would be done one at a time, and a bid process would be required for each project.