Ahead of Schedule
By Chris Seymour | Correspondent at June 4, 2024 | 6:15 pm | Print
Gaffney Renovation Project Progressing
The current academic year isn’t quite over, but schools officials are already eagerly anticipating the start of the 2015-16 school year, when the renovated, state-of-the-art Gaffney School, located at 322 Slater Rd., will reopen.
According to New Britain Board of Education President Sharon Beloin Saavedra, the $30 million renovation project is currently “ahead of schedule and under budget.”
“We are ahead of schedule for work to be completed in early summer as opposed to late summer,” she stated of the renovations at the PreK-5 school. “All is set for students to begin next school year in the newly renovated state of the art school,” continued Beloin Saavedra, adding BOE members are slated to tour the site today (Friday, June 5) and Gaffney staff will also receive a tour this month.
“This facility was designed to meet the needs of three specific populations: preschoolers, children with special needs with a focus on autism, and regular education students all learning through inclusive programming and higher order thinking [HOT] instruction utilizing the special areas of art and music,” said Beloin Saavedra.
“Part of the project is expanded classroom space,” noted the BOE president. Other elements include state of the art music and art facilities, up to date technology, occupational therapy/sensory room, and a school based health clinic, said Beloin Saavedra, adding that a “greenhouse for urban farming” will bring “together health and science to our students through hands on learning.”
The project also includes “outside enhancements” around the building, “energy efficiencies,” and ADA improvements to common areas, noted the BOE president.
While the renovations at the school have been taking place, Gaffney students and staff were relocated to Roosevelt for the 2014-15 school year. “I most look forward to the increased space/classrooms so that children do not receive pull out services in closet areas!” said Beloin Saavedra.
The total bond for the project was for $30 million, of which the state pays 80 percent and the city 20 percent. Beloin Saavedra noted that the Gaffney project began under former mayor Tim O’Brien’s administration with council support and has continued under Mayor Erin Stewart.
The Board of Education will next work with Mayor Erin Stewart, City Council and the city’s state legislative delegation to secure a renovation project for Smalley Elementary School, which the BOE president noted is “operating at full capacity and has no room to reduce class size.”
“State Rep. Bobby Sanchez, Ald. Manny Sanchez, Board of Education members Carlos Pina, Merrill Gay and myself, along with Mayor Stewart, have been discussing a possible Smalley School renovation project for the past year,” said Beloin Saavedra. “We all agree that Smalley will be the next school building project. Timing depends on the mayor and City Council’s willingness to move forward with a bond proposal and our legislative delegation’s ability to have the project move forward at the state level. These projects take a great deal of collaboration from the BOE, City Hall and our state leaders”.
Just like with the Gaffney project, for a Smalley renovation project, New Britain would pay 20 percent of the bond and the state would pay 80 percent.
A number of things need to be addressed at Smalley. “The auditorium needs to be completely redone and the classrooms need to be upgraded—especially the kindergarten suite,” said Beloin Saavedra.
The BOE will move next year’s Smalley kindergarten classes to Roosevelt school until a renovation project is completed, she added. “This will allow for a reduction in class size and ‘breathing’ room at the main campus. Roosevelt will continue to house the NBHS Satellite Careers Academy (160 students),” she said.
HALS Middle School (160 students) will be permanently relocated to Roosevelt and eight preK classes from Smith, Lincoln and Chamberlain will be relocated to Roosevelt, creating the city’s second preK center, after Gaffney, which has the other.
