Citing a large amount of funds still available after extensive renovations were completed in the Peterson Wing at Middlebrook School, Wilton Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Smith is proposing the district should keep going.
“We want to continue and try to get as much done as possible,” Smith told the Board of Education on Thursday, Oct. 9. “We have currently approved bond funds for flooring, lighting and ceiling tiles. We have operating capital funds to cover the painting.”
“There was $1.64 million approved,” Smith said. “We’ve expended about $400,000 to completely do the Peterson Wing,” Smith said, noting that completion of what he described as the “green section” would be about another $140,000, a section adjacent to the Peterson Wing.
“Beginning in December we want to move into the 6 Green Wing (on) the eastern side of the building, and work through a couple classes at a time,” Smith said, noting the work schedule would utilize weekends and holiday periods over the early winter.
“What we would like to do over the course of this early winter is come through, replace all of the flooring and do the painting in this wing. Lights and ceiling tiles would be next summer,” he said.
“Once that’s complete, we would move down the hallway into the 7 Green Wing,” Smith said, to be followed by the 8 Green Wing. “We’re thinking April break, that time frame, again weekends, and just kind of roll through in sequence and just get as far as we can.”
“The final phase here, which we would propose for summer 2026, is everything you see in yellow,” he said, indicating an area on a slide that includes the cafeteria, media center, main office and guidance wings, and the music rooms, with a separate RFP for the art rooms.
“We have funds available that I think (are) going to cover all of the flooring, all of the ceiling tiles, all of the lighting,” Smith said, with a new bond package planned to follow.
“Thinking about the next bond and the way I’d like to kind of put this together, what we’d really like to do is kind of a more complete renovation and so, in addition to the items I just described, take the opportunity to update the electrical and replace all of the furniture, the fixtures, the equipment, and so make that one bond package,” he said.
Smith noted that all of this was possible because the contractors had done such a good job working over the summer.
He said this would result in “99%” of the interior space being updated, refreshed and completed, and they would then move on to some exterior work, including deteriorating pointing in the building face, and replacement of exterior doors and windows.
“We need to map out how best to do that, but that would be next on the list,” Smith said, with roofing a separate matter.
After that, he said, the building would be “pretty much ready to go and then we can move on to the next building.”
“We need to finalize numbers (but) we think this is a plan that can work,” he said.
Board members expressed excitement at the prospect.
“By the end of next summer, we are going to be in a place where … the interior of this building is taken care of,” BOE Chair Ruth DeLuca said.
“I think that’s pretty fantastic,” she said, praising the renovation work that’s already been done.
“It feels like a new place to be and kind of welcoming and worthy of the people that spend their time in it,” DeLuca said.
Jose Figueroa, plant manager for the BOE, has been working on scheduling the work for the rest of the year.
“Right now there would not be weekend work,” Figueroa said, noting there are four extra classrooms and additional “swing space” that would allow them to relocate students so that work can continue during the weekdays.
“Right now, this work we’re presenting will be able to get done during the regular work hours,” he said in response to a question from Vice Chair Nicola Davies about potential overtime costs.
Smith said he would be bringing it all back to the BOE for a vote, after which it would be brought before the Board of Selectmen. “Let’s hope we can move it along,” he said.