Pre-Referendum FAQs

The Cromwell Board of Education engaged Tecton Architects to provide three conceptual designs which included an option for renovating the current facility, doing a major renovation with a new wing to the current facility, or building a new school. Below is a summary of the options that were reviewed. You may also review Tecton’s Presentation here. The building committee selected the third option to build a new school on the same property.

• Renovate Option at a total project cost of $63M

This option would keep the existing layout and renovate the spaces. It did not meet the statement of needs and would cause the most disruption to students, including the use of portable classrooms which would be an added expense to the project.

• Major Renovation with New Construction at a total project cost of $62M

This option met the majority of the statement of needs and did provide collaborative learning spaces. It improved parking lot flow and created learning communities for students. There would be an overall longer construction duration, more risk of unknown during renovation, and would cause some disruption to students. There would also be a time period where the gym, auditorium, and music rooms would not be available. There are also concerns about the maintenance of the existing space and it did not address all the safety concerns of the existing building.

• New School on the same property at a total project cost of $59M

This option met all of the requirements in the statement of needs. The new school provides a state-of-the-art, collaborative learning environment for Science Technology Engineering Art and Math curriculum. This option will have a lower reimbursement rate from the State but will provide a longer lifetime use for the future learning needs for our children.

(Note: Total project costs include estimates for central office. Estimates as of March 30, 2022.)

The Building committee will submit the grant request to the state June 30, 2022 and anticipates breaking ground the summer of 2023. The anticipated project completion date will be determined as the building committee prepares more information for the state grant process. The total construction process is expected to take 24 months.

There are several factors that will impact the project costs to the town including the option selected and the reimbursement provided by the State of Connecticut. A more detailed analysis will be provided in the coming months. Here are the estimated numbers based on the current architectural schematics.

Estimated Total Project Cost Estimated State Reimbursement Estimated Cost to Cromwell

Renovate $61M $27M $34M

Renovate w/new $59M $26M $33M

New School $56M $20M $36M

Central Office* $2.8M $0.5M $2.3M

*The district’s central office will also be included in the project.

Schools are important buildings for the community and not only support students but support a thriving economy where the students we educate today become our future residents, business owners and families. The Building Committee is committed to review designs with a lens of how the building can support community needs. The spaces will be thought about and how they can be used for other theater groups, recreation programs, Girl Scout troop, Boy Scout dens, sports leagues, and continuing education programs.

You can learn more by reviewing the Building Comittee’s webpage, following the Building Committee on Facebook and Instagram, and signing up to receive the Building Committee’s digital newsletter.

The selected option to build a new school will be the least disruptive to the students. The new school will be built then teachers and students will move. Then the existing school will be taken down.

High quality schools protect property values. Realtors routinely cite the quality of school systems as a key factor in attracting home buyers to a community. To continue encouraging young families to settle in Cromwell, our schools must provide innovative school curriculum to prepare students for their futures. A new Cromwell Middle School will support this. The school will also be designed with community use in mind. A new facility will better serve sports and recreation, performing arts, and clubs and organizations in our community.

The following study was completed to determine the Cromwell Middle School Statement of Need: 2016 Conditions Study

According to a November 2021 enrollment projection report, enrollment will increase from 460 today to 478 in 2027.

Per state requirements, the school will be sized to the peak projected enrollment for the next eight years, which for Cromwell Middle School is 491 students in the 2022 - 2023 school year.

The current middle school was built as a high school and was repurposed into a middle school. It currently does not meet the needs of 21st century learning. A new Cromwell Middle School will foster innovation in an advanced learning environment, while creating an inclusive atmosphere for all students. This contemporary facility enables a state-of-the-art Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) curriculum that prepares our students for the future.

No other sites were considered due limited town land. The school district also benefits from having the district’s four schools in close proximity. The school’s are able to easily share resources and families are able to get to and from the different schools their children may be attending.

We invite all members of the community to attend meetings or provide feedback through the contact us form on the Building Committee’s website.

The project is currently in the conceptual design phase and the drawings are representative. These designs are used for the town to gain a cost estimate and prepare for financing the project. If the project is approved, the building committee will move into a detailed design phase, where decisions will be made about the final building design.