Windermere School Rebuilding Plan Put On Hold In Ellington

ELLINGTON, CT — A renovate-to-new construction project at Windermere School, put on hold last May in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic amid concerns about unknown financial impacts, will be delayed another year per a recent vote of the Board of Education.

The board opted for further review of enrollment studies on the project, but reaffirmed its commitment to moving forward in the future, according to Superintendent of Schools Scott Nicol.

The pandemic affected enrollment in the district, with more families opting for homeschooling or private alternatives. With a lower enrollment projection, the district could not build Windermere for the size projected in January 2020 and continue to receive full reimbursement from the state, Nicol said.

Faced with the decision to build a school that could be too small, or one that decreases reimbursement, the board opted to wait until the district could see how many students return in fall 2021.

"When we're making a generational investment in our school system, one that is a significant investment for taxpayers, we want to make sure our planning is as accurate as it can be," school board chair Jennifer Dzen said. "The one year pause will allow us to have firmer estimates of the total size and scope of the project that's required to meet our community's needs."

The board confirmed its commitment to the project, citing both immediate capital needs at the building and the desire to have a long-term plan in place to address the facility needs of the district, with minimal impact to taxpayers as past debt comes off the books, Nicol said. Windermere was identified as the first project needed in the district’s comprehensive facilities study, which concluded in 2019.

Operations committee chair Kerry Socha said, "While COVID may have delayed the project, we have continued to persevere and have gained valuable knowledge that will enable us to build a better Windermere, which will sustain students' needs well into the future. Teaching and learning have evolved at a rapid pace over the last year. Technology, now more than ever, has been placed at the forefront in education. Windermere is an important project that must incorporate those changes, as well as anticipate future growth, for the betterment of our community."

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