BOE Consensus: Build New
The Weston Board of Education unanimously concluded on Monday evening that it makes more sense to build a new Weston Middle School than to renovate the existing one, but costs for both approaches are, as board chair Deborah Low put it, “astounding.”
One week before, the board heard from SLAM Collaborative that the price tag on a new middle school would be almost on par with renovation, but in both cases:
- The school needs to be larger than conceived two years ago.
- Costs would be millions more than estimated two years ago.
- Weston would be eligible for less state aid than expected two years ago.
SLAM architects and engineers concluded that the building needs to be 122,630 square feet, 17 percent larger than conceived by Tecton in 2024. This despite a slightly reduced projection of peak enrollment since that time.
SLAM’s analysis holds that the 2024 design was overly compact, leaving too little space open for corridors, mechanicals, restrooms, and the like.
The firm presented an opinion of probable costs for both options:
| Option | Low Estimate | High Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Renovation | $134,518,000 | $141,416,000 |
| New | $136,069,000 | $143,047,000 |
Adding to the fiscal challenge of these numbers, the recommended size of the building could cut Weston’s eligibility for State funds nearly in half.
The SLAM team warned that a 122,630 square-foot building would be about 30 percent larger than the maximum size eligible for State reimbursements, given Weston Middle School’s projected peak population of 554 students.
As a result, instead of being eligible for up to 22.14 percent reimbursement for renovation, Weston might only qualify for less than 12 percent. For a new building, the maximum 12.5 percent could shrink to about 6 percent or less.
Designs
The delta between renovation and building new — around $1.5 million — is largely a function of the nearly 1½ years longer it takes to renovate an occupied building, plus the costs of temporary classrooms (“swing space”) and escalating prices.
A timeline presented by Jim Hoagland and Kemp Morhardt of SLAM estimates that construction of a new middle school could be complete by the end of 2029, assuming the ball starts rolling this year with a grant application and initiation of design work.
Renovation, on the other hand, would not be finished until mid-2031. During three stages of demolition and construction — each stage lasting about a year — various grade levels would be relocated to swing space.
Below (and up top), SLAM’s conceptual design of a new school that would be built next to Weston High School while the existing middle school continues to operate until completion, at which point it would be demolished.
Below this, SLAM’s concept of the footprint of a renovated Weston Middle School. In both concepts, the swimming pool is a detached facility, offering flexibility as a possible community resource but apparently not included in cost estimates nor, it would seem, eligible for State reimbursement.
Further review
At the end of Monday’s meeting, Ms. Low summarized a set of next steps as the clock ticks on this year’s deadline — June 30 — to apply for State reimbursement grants.
She asked SLAM to come back with a high level view of what it would take to move fifth grade into Weston Middle School, likely a first step into consolidating as a three-school campus.
That idea has been floated for a while but is nowhere near fully fleshed out. Only an initial, limited examination of the impact on education has been developed. Nothing is yet known about the cost of an even larger WMS, nor about construction possibly required elsewhere on a reconfigured campus.
Because the design concept of a new or renovated middle school is based on education specifications developed in 2024, Ms. Low said a board committee will review the specifications and so will consultants from Colliers Project Leaders. She said Colliers will also be asked to offer “a second opinion, if you will” of the SLAM design and cost estimates.
Ms. Low said members of the administration will fan out to explore grant opportunities, and First Selectwoman Samantha Nestor is enlisted to liaison with legislators in hopes of winning approval for higher State reimbursement rates.