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02/09/2022 07:20 AMThe following information is taken directly form the Board of Education website and from town documents.
Voters will go to the polls on Tuesday, Feb. 15 to decide if the Madison, will or will not, approve the largest bonding issue in the town’s history. Under the referendum plan, a new pre-K to 5 school will be built near the Green Hill Road campus and Brown Intermediate will be converted into a K to 5 school. The Town Campus Learning Center (TCLC), Jeffrey Elementary, and Ryerson Elementary schools will be taken offline, and both Ryerson and TCLC will be demolished.
The Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt a four-school model that includes:
• New construction of a pre-K to 5 elementary school on the Green Hill Campus on Mungertown Road
• Improvements to Brown Intermediate School to transition to a K to 5 school
• Maintaining Polson Middle School as grades 6-8 and Daniel Hand High School as grades 9-12
• Renovations at Polson Middle School would include new air quality systems/HVAC improvements, renovation of the auditorium, and various security upgrades. The 4-school plan would result in the closure of both existing K to 3 elementary school buildings as well as the TCLC.
New Construction
The new building will house grades pre-K to 5 for students and families in the southern half of town. The school facility will meet current space, security, and indoor air quality standards and provide students and teachers with modern learning environments. If the project is approved, a building committee of community volunteers will have final say over project architect selection and the finer design details of the building. The pre-K to 5 building will be constructed on parcel of land accessed by Mungertown Road. Moving the building off of Copse Road will alleviate some traffic concerns in and around the Green Hill Campus.
Approximate building size:
82,000 square feet
Approximate Cost: $61 million
Convert Brown to a K to 5 School
Renovations at Brown will take place over several summers and both a renovated Brown Elementary school and the Green Hill Road Elementary school will open their doors at the same time. Renovations include changing the entrance to the building, converting classrooms on the ground floor into a kindergarten wing complete with classrooms and private restrooms, renovated spaces for grades 1 to 5 complete with enlarged windows, and general renovations/improvements to bathrooms, corridors, the outdoor courtyard, and parking lot. In addition, the renovation will include significant security upgrades.
Building size: 107,077 square feet
Approximate Cost: $6.2 million
Walter C. Polson Middle School
The Renewal Plan dedicates approximately $21 million for renovations at Polson Middle School including HVAC replacement and installation, auditorium updates and improvements, and security upgrades.
Currently approximately 50 percent of Polson has AC and some of the heating and ventilation system in the building is original to the 1960s construction. Sections have been replaced over the years but the last major replacement was in the 1990s. This plan would replace the buildings electrical system and put HVAC throughout the entire building. Estimated costs for these improvements total close to $17 million.
The auditorium updates and improvements make up roughly $2.95 million of the $21 million designated for Polson in the referendum question. Those auditorium dollars will go towards new lighting, a new sound system, electrical services, HVAC equipment and ductwork, and other items like new seating.
The money dedicated to Polson in the referendum total does not address all the issues in the building, but it does take care of projects that should be taken care of before items such as window replacement can be considered.
The remaining Polson projects, such as locker room renovations and pavement restoration, are accounted for in the town’s Capital Improvement Program over the next 10 years.
Project Budget/Cost to Taxpayer
Of the total cost for the proposed project, it is expected that an estimated $10,000,000 will be reimbursed by the State of Connecticut. Accordingly, the net cost to the Town of Madison for the three bonded projects described above is estimated to be approximately $79,200,000.
Project Bonding Cost Impact Taxes
Years 1 to 5, average annual tax, for each $100,000 assessed: $96
Years 6 to 10, average annual tax, for each $100,000 assessed: $202
Years 11 to 15, average annual tax, for each $100,000 assessed: $189
Years 16 to 20, average annual tax, for each $100,000 assessed: $180
Years 21 to 24, average annual tax, for each $100,000 assessed: $83
Average annual bonding cost over 24 years per $100,000: $153