By Richard Kaufman
Sentinel Reporter
With white hard hats atop their heads and broad smiles on their faces, students from New Lebanon School got a first look at the site of their future home during a groundbreaking ceremony on Dec. 7 behind the Byram Shubert Library.
The ceremony capped off a long and arduous process that featured several stumbling blocks on the road towards a new New Lebanon School. Due to the historic budget impasse in Hartford, state funding for the project was put in jeopardy for several months.
However, with perseverance and dedication, construction for the school officially began, as members of the state delegation and New Lebanon Building Committee ceremoniously plunged their shovels into the ground.
The ceremony featured several speakers, all of whom played important roles in helping the building come to fruition.
“What a glorious day today is,” said New Lebanon Building Committee Chair, Stephen Walko. “It is a day to truly be celebrated by the town, the state and particularly the community of Byram. It is a day to be excited about the possibilities that a new school building will bring to the town, and you the students.”
Walko thanked the building committee, which has worked together on this project since June of 2015. He also thanked the state delegation that helped obtain funding, which included state Sen. L. Scott Frantz (R-36), state Reps. Livvy Floren (R-149), Michael Bocchino (R-150) and Fred Camillo (R-151).
“We are so happy for you,” Frantz said to the students, teachers and community members in attendance.
The project will receive 80 percent of its nearly $40 million price tag from the state. Frantz admitted that the process was daunting at times.
“You would not believe the shenanigans over the last four or five months. This funding package for the new New Lebanon School has fallen out of the budget at least four or five times,” Frantz added. “At 2 a.m., you have to dig your way through a whole lot of papers and put Humpty Dumpty back up on the wall.”
Bocchino echoed those sentiments, and said that time and time again the delegation was told there were too many obstacles in the way. Standing in front of the crowd, Bocchino still couldn’t believe that the groundbreaking ceremony was taking place.
“We still stand here today wondering if this is real or a dream right now with all of the hard work and effort that was put into this,” he said. “Today is an historic day for the town of Greenwich, considering what transpired in Hartford and what little we received back from them.”
First Selectman Peter Tesei said that the new New Lebanon School will continue to be the hub of Byram.
“I look forward to returning here next year when we can cut the ribbon and begin the new era of New Lebanon School for a reunited school community,” he added.
Newly-appointed Board of Education Chair Peter Bernstein read a selection from the book School’s First Day of School, which is about a brand new school and how it, and the students, are nervous about the first day. Bernstein offered to come read the book to the children once the building is finished.
“This is a project for all of Greenwich. This is a project for student achievement and growth. This is a project that shows what the efforts of people can do even in the face of adversity. Let’s get to work, one brick at a time,” he said.
Superintendent of schools, Dr. Jill Gildea, said the new school should serve as a great lesson of resilience and persistence. “The beautiful new school is a reflection of the community that you live in. It’s a beautiful, vibrant community,” she said.
New Lebanon School Principal Barbara Riccio said the only reason the project is truly a reality is because of the students themselves.
“We want our future to reflect all the beautiful faces, your bright dreams, your bright intelligence, your superpowered bodies. It’s all about you,” she said.
Riccio introduced student council representatives, John Kilgallen and Jassmine Jimenez, to speak on behalf of the students.
“I’ve been hearing about a new school for years, and I’m so excited. The building was desperately needed, and I can confidently say that every student here is happy that it’s being built,” Kilgallen said.
Jimenez led the students in a New Lebanon School cheer to show their appreciation.
New Lebanon School is currently cramped and in violation of the state’s racial balance laws. The new school aims to reduce racial imbalance by attracting magnet students from other areas of town.
There will be a centrally located learning commons, instruction area, small group collaborative areas, independent study areas, a lego wall and a small-tiered read-aloud story corner.
The building will serve 374 students in grades PreK-5. It will contain 21 general classrooms, four dedicated classrooms for art, music and other activities, along with a media center, gymnasium and cafeteria.
Construction will be spearheaded by Gilbane Building Company. Overall, 466 tons of steel, 56,592 cubic feet of concrete, 15,330 units of masonry, 7,400 square feet of metal wall panels and 239,490 lineal feet, or just over 45 miles, of wire and cables will be combined to build a brand new school the town and students desperately need.
Construction isn’t expected to be completed until early 2019.
