West Woods Elementary School Construction Project

It has been a long time in the planning stages ... and lots of changes have occurred related to construction at West Woods Elementary School.  Changes in process, state policies, estimates, funding sources and other factors have made this project seem quite confusing! We hope that the following timeline will help describe and explain the events that have occurred.

School and Town administration, Board of Education, Legislative Council, School Building Committee, and the Connecticut State Department of Education and Department of Administrative Services will work collaboratively to ensure the West Woods building needs will be addressed with a sense of urgency and timeliness.

West Woods School Planning Timeline         

 

           jjjjjjjjjjjjDatejjjjjjjjjjjjj

 Event
  7/1/13    Request for Proposals (RFP) for Architectural/Engineering (A/E) Services for Northern School Studies
 2/24/14  Architects hired by Town for the Northern School Study
 9/3/14 

3 concepts are presented to the Board of Education (BOE):

  • Renovate as New (REN)
  • Alteration
  • Alteration/Expansion

   4/20/15   

 Completion of Northern School Study, BOE recommends REN of West Woods
3/7/16  RFP (Request for Proposals) for Architectural and Engineering Services for REN of Shepherd Glen and West Woods
7/7/16  Kickoff meeting between School Building Committee (SBC) and Architects for West Woods REN
7/21/16  SBC chooses and approves pursuing new (not REN) West Woods
9/13/16 BOE approves educational specifications for new West Woods.  Grant Application made to Office of School Construction Grants & Review (OSCG&R)
7/31/17 Schematic designs completed and presented for new West Woods
 8/2017  OSCG&R develops a new plan to require districts to develop strategic plans that address broad community needs and related construction
8/17/17 Fusco Construction estimates predict new West Woods schematics will be over projected budget
10/31/17 West Woods new and Shepherd Glen REN projects approved by the State Legislature
Fall 2017 Hamden delegation meets with OSCG&R on the projects
Fall 2017-11/18 Hamden Board of Education develops the 3R Plan that incorporates the need to racially balance elementary schools, provide pre-k opportunities for all students, consider parent choice options (intra-district magnet schools), move 6th grade to middle school, and consolidate schools
11/19/18  Hamden delegation meets with OSCG&R; they embrace the 3R plan and direct us to build as new; they did not support changing grant to REN and required Hamden stick with a new West Woods
12/19/18 The SBC meets to plan the building of a new school
1/25/19 Hamden delegation meets with OSCG&R; they review the 3R plan and discuss the Wintergreen changeover schedule.  OSCG&R continue to direct Hamden to build West Woods as new
Winter 2019 The Hamden Board of Education (BOE) continues to meet with the Hamden Legislative Council (LC) to explain and advocate for the 3R plan
Feb 2019  West Woods site selection put on hold: begin the Construction Manager RFQ (Request for Quotation) and reselection process
April 2019 Fusco Construction is reselected as the Construction Manager for the project
5/9/19 Site alternatives studied, presented + east side site is selected for the new West Woods
Spring 2019 The LC deliberates over funding projects associated with the 3R plan
6/19/19 The SBC receives the schematic design package for the new West Woods Elementary School
7/19/19 Fusco Construction determines that the West Woods School design is over the construction budget
7/23/19 After significant value engineering and Fusco re-estimating, revised new West Woods Elementary School plans remain over budget and the revised, extremely simplified design is unappealing
Summer 2019 Superintendent meets with West Woods PTA members and school personnel several times to keep them in the loop and provide status updates
August 2019 Superintendent writes a letter requesting an extension from the State for Alice Peck and West Woods construction projects
11/11/19 Letter from the State arrives indicating they would approve the Alice Peck project but not the West Woods project.
11/12/19 Superintendent announces the State’s decision not to fund the West Woods Elementary School building project at the West Woods PTA meeting
11/25/19 Meeting with CT Department of Administrative Services to discuss funding for improvements to West Woods Elementary School and deciding on a path to move forward. View a summary of the meeting and next steps.