By Laura Kostin
The Board of Education requested and the Board of Estimate & Taxation, in a unanimous vote, approved interim funding for the renovation and expansion of Old Greenwich School in the amount of $8,177,174; after accounting for Town and Board of Education capital funding to be closed out, the net cost to the Town is $6,470,574. The funding request now moves to the Representative Town Meeting for approval. In a statement to the Greenwich Sentinel, Board of Estimate & Taxation Chairman David Weisbrod said, “I commend the Old Greenwich School Building Committee for its thoroughness, and I am pleased with the civil, rigorous analysis done by my partners on the BET to help move this project forward.”
The Old Greenwich School Building Committee requested the additional funding to increase contingency reserves and to address a portion of the school roof that is nearing the end of its useful life. The roof area slated for replacement covers the school’s gymnasium and cafeteria, as well as the music and art rooms.
Old Greenwich School Building Committee Chairman James Waters has said the roof work is eligible for reimbursement from the State of Connecticut. Whether to include the additional roof area in the renovation scope was the subject of extended discussion by the Board of Education, which ultimately voted in favor of inclusion. Some members raised concerns about cost escalation if the work were deferred and about the length of time the roof might remain in acceptable condition, while others favored delaying the work.
Reached for comment after the approvals, Waters said, “The Old Greenwich School Building Committee is thankful for the partnership with the Board of Education and the Board of Estimate & Taxation in supporting the additional appropriation for the OGS renovation. The project continues to have strong bipartisan support across Town, as evidenced by the BET’s unanimous vote last night. We look forward to working with the RTM in the coming weeks so we can keep the project on track to start construction in April.”
Waters said multiple RTM committees—Finance, Budget Overview, Education, and Legislative & Rules—will meet jointly at 7 p.m. on February 2 at Town Hall to evaluate the funding request. Two days later, on Wednesday, February 4, RTM districts will meet at 7 p.m. at Central Middle School to discuss the proposal, followed by a Special Meeting of the full RTM at 8 p.m. in the school’s auditorium to consider the appropriation.
The Old Greenwich School project includes a new kindergarten addition, an ADA-compliant entryway, and renovations to the school’s gymnasium, cafeteria, kitchen, and mechanical spaces.
