Date: Fri 11-Dec-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: MICHEL

Quick Words:

schools-5/6-capital-plan

Full Text:

PAGE ONE / LIBRARY / BWEB

School Bd To Ask For Nearly $20 Million Over Five Years

B Y M ICHELE H OGAN

The Newtown Board of Education intends to request $19.7 million for the

proposed grade 5/6 school and other capital improvements over the next five

years. The five-year capital improvement plan, soon to be discussed with the

Legislative Council, is still at the draft stage.

Year 1 expenditures, 1999/2000, would be $2.9 million. Almost $1 million of

this would be used in renovations, a roof replacement, and code updates at

current schools; the other $1.95 million would be for beginning construction

costs for the proposed grade 5/6 school.

The Board of Education is looking at total costs of $25,810,000 for the

building of the new school. Of this amount, $8,245,613 would be reimbursed by

the State of Connecticut, leaving $17,564,387 for the town to finance.

In Year 1, 1999/2000, the net cost to the town for the new school would be

slightly over $1.95 million dollars. In year two, the heaviest construction

year, the cost would be $9.1 million. Finally, in year three, 2001/2002, a

cost of $6.4 million would be incurred.

Of the remaining $2 million requested for capital improvements over the next

five years, close to $1 million is for athletic field improvements. Removing

the hill in the athletic field at Newtown High School, slated for year 2, the

year 2000/2001, would cost the town $589,655.

In year 3, 2001/2002, $417,500 would go toward improving the athletic fields

at the middle school.

How these expenditures would affect the town's tax rate will depend on how the

Legislative Council chooses to finance the costs.