Inside the $1+ Billion in Lower Fairfield County School Construction Projects
By 2030, at least 10 new (or extremely renovated) schools will open their doors to students across Lower Fairfield County.
When students in Greenwich returned to Central Middle School this week, they walked into a brand-new state-of-the-art facility.
The $112 million project for a 125,000-square-foot school replaced a building that quite literally was falling apart. In February 2022, the building had to be shut down for emergency repairs as the town “made the decision to close the building until it is deemed safe for occupancy.”
“I want to say thank you to every elected official…because it really all started when that building over there was condemned,” Greenwich Superintendent Toni Jones said at the ribbon cutting ceremony in August. “I will never forget that call. Sometimes through adversity that’s how we end up with something wonderful in our life. And going through that was worth every single minute to end up with this beautiful school.”
While the overall cost and size of the project did elicit some pushback from residents, officials said this was a needed investment for students in the town.
“The faculty and staff have been an integral part of this project from the very beginning, we have leaned on them for their expertise, for their innovation, for their ideas and for really knowing what kids benefit from and what they need for 21st century education,” Principal Tom Healy said at the ribbon cutting ceremony. “But the design of this building and the amazing education that our students are going to be exposed to with these new learning spaces is a direct result of the hard work, the dedication, and the care of our faculty and staff.
But Central Middle School students aren’t the only ones who will be attending a new school in the coming years. There are more than $1 billion worth of school construction projects currently underway or in design across the region. Let’s dive into some of those projects and why districts are investing in their school facilities.
Support from the State
One of the biggest reasons districts say they’re building new facilities is to make up for years of underinvestment and delayed maintenance. But many of these projects wouldn’t be possible without significant support from the state of Connecticut.
Westhill High School in Stamford, one of the largest school construction projects (if not the largest) in the state’s history, is receiving an 80% reimbursement rate from the state, meaning the state will pick up about 80% of the project. (It’s not exactly 80% as some items aren’t reimbursable, or reimbursable at that rate, but it’s close.) The Norwalk High School project is also receiving an 80% reimbursement rate, while the Dwight Elementary School and Early Childhood Learning Center will receive a 75% reimbursement rate.
In addition, Stamford and Norwalk secured 60% reimbursement rates for all other school construction projects for the next 20 years as two of Connecticut’s fastest growing cities catch up on improving their facilities.
“This is more than replacing windows and furnaces, it’s a comprehensive plan to renovate schools as new and rebuild them for our teachers and our students to meet the expectations set in place,” Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, who represents Norwalk, said in a statement after the agreement was announced. “We haven’t been able to invest in our schools in a long time and that is why this is a huge deal. We are making an investment that will ultimately provide greater success for our students.”
Westhill High School in Stamford
The $446 million new Westhill High School project will bring a brand-new 450,000 square-foot high school to the city, which will accommodate more than 2,400 students. The plan is for the facility to be open by the start of the 2029 school year. The plans call for nearly 100 classrooms—a mix of general education, special education, STEM, and specialized learning spaces to support “career pathway programs”; a new $18 million indoor pool, enhanced athletic facilities and fields, and more.
The project officially broke ground at the start of the summer, and officials say the site is “changing every day.”
“Soon enough, before you know it, in February, we will be moving towards steel erection—you'll start to see the building lifting out of the ground,” Katherine LoBalbo, Stamford’s director of school construction, told the Board of Finance in August.
Roxbury Elementary School in Stamford
As the city is working on the Westhill construction project, it is also constructing a new K-8 Roxbury Elementary School. The estimated $130 million project would bring a new 131,561 square foot school that would replace the current one, which officials say is “just beyond its useful life.” The project will demolish the portable classrooms and bring students into a new facility.
Officials say the Roxbury project could actually finish before the Westhill project even though the work is starting a bit later. The city is currently receiving construction bids for the project. The plan is for the school to be finished for the 2028-2029 school year.
Norwalk High School
The $260 million project—up a bit from the initially projected $239 million—is currently under construction with a plan to open in August 2027. The 332,628 square foot project will be home to both the P-TECH program and Norwalk High School and serve about 2,000 students. The new school is being built on the current athletics fields and a new athletics complex will replace the fields once the high school is open.
“We are on schedule,” Alan Lo, Norwalk’s building and facilities manager, told the Land Use and Building Committee in August. “We are pushing very hard to maintain those schedule and and and and and the process.”
City officials recently came before the City Council to authorize an additional $21 million for the project (some of which will be reimbursed by the state). This funding will cover some of the packages that the city did not initially put out to bid when it bid the overall high school construction project, such as site concrete work.
Lo said he would give a detailed breakdown of the project at the committee’s next meeting on Sept. 2.
“This is a 260 million dollar project—it's the largest construction project the city ever endeavored on,” Lo said. “I think it's worthwhile that we spend some time and see how we're doing and what the challenges we have in the past and upcoming.”
Hindley, Holmes, and Royle (HHR) Elementary Schools in Darien
The $101.5 million project aimed to extensively renovate the three elementary schools by adding new building wings, removing portable classrooms, redesigning the libraries, and mechanical upgrades.
According to Superintendent Eric Byrne, “the additions and renovations at Hindley, Holmes, and Royle (HHR) are nearly complete. While there still may be punch-list and smaller items to address, the vast majority of the work will be completed next week.”
Dwight Elementary School and Early Childhood Center in Fairfield
The town is embarking on a new school construction project, which will not only replace the existing Dwight Elementary School, but also provide classrooms for an Early Childhood Center and dedicated spaces for special education.
The overall $76 million project, which received a 75% reimbursement rate from the state will bring a 56,115 square foot building to the site to serve nearly 400 students—of which about 260 will be in grades K-5 and about 130 will be for early childhood and preschool.
“Just hearing the plans for the new Dwight Elementary School is a reminder that Fairfield gets it right,” Governor Ned Lamont said at a press conference announcing the state reimbursement in June. “They’re going to have an amazing special ed facility made for these kids to have the very best opportunity.”
The goal is to open the school in 2029.
Long Lots Elementary School and Stepping Stones Preschool in Westport
A new Long Lots Elementary School is currently under construction, adjacent to the existing building, as part of the town’s efforts to address the deteriorating structure and expand the Stepping Stones Preschool. The project aims to produce a school with a “nurturing environment that blends timeless design with purposeful learning zones inspired by a cozy and classic New England setting.”
The estimated $110 million project for a 127,719 square foot building will serve more than 680 students from Pre-K through Grade 5.
“Ultimately, this Long Lots Elementary School Building Project will prove beneficial for the Westport community for generations to come,” Former First Selectwoman Jen Tooker said in a statement.
The goal is to move students into the new facility in January 2028.
Old Greenwich Elementary School
In addition to Central Middle School, the town is also renovating the Old Greenwich School, with an expected completion of January 2029. The project is estimated to cost just under $56 million, and includes a new kindergarten addition, new playground, addressing sewer and drainage issues, installing new HVAC systems, creating a secure entryway, and making the building ADA compliant.
This project is slightly different from others on this list as it is “not new construction or a complete renovation,” but one that is “committed to preserving the character of Old Greenwich School and ensuring the timely, cost-effective completion of necessary renovations.” Overall the project aims to “address the critical issues of security, health and safety, accessibility, and programming to meet baseline requirements for current and future generations.”
New Bassick High School in Bridgeport
While not currently under construction, the $129 million Bassick high school officially opened last year, allowing students to access modern science labs, a full auditorium, advanced technological equipment, and athletic fields. It holds about 1,250 students and is located next to the University of Bridgeport, which officials said allows for “unique opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, and advanced learning.”
John Winthrop School in Bridgeport
The city is combining the John Winthrop School and Skane School together on one campus as a part of $80+ million new school that will replace “aging buildings” that are more than 50 years old. Officials say the project will produce a state-of-the-art school featuring modern classrooms, advanced technology, energy efficient building systems, collaborative learning spaces, and enhanced security, aimed at supporting “the needs of today's learners while preparing students for tomorrow’s opportunities.”
"This project is more than a new building. It is an investment in our students, our educators, our families, and the future of Bridgeport,” Interim Superintendent Royce Avery said in a statement. “It represents our commitment to creating learning environments that inspire excellence and prepare every student for success.”
In the spring, the city began seeking bids for the first phase of the project, which includes some site work, demolition, and abatement efforts.
What’s next for school construction?
While these are the main active school construction projects, there are many more in earlier stages, such as the West Rocks Middle School replacement project in Norwalk or the Lower Schools projects in Stamford, both of which are in design phases. In addition, Bridgeport secured $74 million in state funding for a new Special Education Center which aims to provide “a centralized, modern facility for specialized services.”
Officials said they might have better updates on those soon.
In Stamford, Director of Operations Matt Quinones told the Board of Finance that his team planned to meet with the new superintendent of schools to revisit the long-term facilities plan.
“Having made the progress we have at Westhill and Roxbury, and looking at significant changes to our enrollment, I think it's responsible and appropriate,” he said, adding that he’d like to come back to the board in about a month or so.
Editor’s note: We’ll keep following school construction updates across the region and will aim to have an update every few weeks.
