Education Committee
AN ACT CONCERNING AUTHORIZATION OF STATE GRANT COMMITMENTS FOR SCHOOL BUILDING PROJECTS AND CHANGES TO THE STATUTES CONCERNING SCHOOL BUILDING PROJECTS
SUMMARY: This act authorizes 19 school construction grants totaling $240 million toward total project costs of $485.5 million. It (1) increases, due to cost and scope changes, an existing grant commitment by $32 million for a previously authorized project and (2) provides additional funding, of up to $73.5 million, for other projects by waiving certain rules and statutes.
Under the state school construction grant program, the state reimburses towns and local districts for a percentage of eligible school construction costs (with less wealthy towns receiving a higher reimbursement percentage). The town pays the remaining costs.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage, except the provision about school building project managers is effective July 1, 2018.
§ 1 — SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION GRANT COMMITMENTS
New Projects
Table 1 below shows the district, school, project, cost and estimated grants for each of the 19 new projects.
Table 1: New School Construction Grant Commitments
District |
School |
Project |
Estimated Project Costs |
Estimated Grant |
State Reimbursement % |
Berlin |
Richard D. Hubbard School |
Alteration |
$172,712 |
$78,342 |
45.36% |
Berlin |
Mary E. Griswold School |
Alteration |
$140,966 |
$63,942 |
45.36% |
Berlin |
Emma Hart Willard School |
Alteration |
$179,441 |
$81,394 |
45.36% |
Berlin |
Catherine M. McGee Middle School |
Alteration |
$193,890 |
$87,949 |
45.36% |
Bethel |
Anna H. Rockwell School |
Renovation |
$24,723,432 |
$11,125,544 |
45.00% |
Bethel |
Ralph M.T. Johnson |
Renovation |
$41,107,711 |
$18,498,470 |
45.00% |
East Lyme |
Flanders School |
Alteration, roof replacement, code violation |
$12,099,088 |
$5,401,033 |
44.64% |
East Lyme |
Niantic Center School |
Alteration, energy conservation, code violations |
$10,405,068 |
$4,644,822 |
44.64% |
East Lyme |
Lillie B. Haynes School |
Alteration, energy conservation, code violations |
$14,995,844 |
$6,694,145 |
44.64% |
Middletown |
Woodrow Wilson Middle School |
New construction |
$87,500,000 |
$49,376,250 |
56.43% |
Norwalk |
Ponus Ridge Middle School |
Extension/ alteration, code violations |
$43,348,333 |
$14,395,981 |
33.21% |
Oxford |
Oxford Middle School |
New construction |
$44,900,000 |
$13,631,640 |
30.36% |
South Windsor |
Eli Terry Elementary School |
New construction |
$37,419,060 |
$13,897,439 |
37.14% |
South Windsor |
Philip R. Smith Elementary School |
New construction |
$32,480,940 |
$12,063,421 |
37.14% |
Fairfield |
Holland Hill School |
Extension/ alteration |
$18,148,740 |
$4,666,041 |
25.71% |
Milford |
West Shore Middle School |
Extension/ alteration, roof replacement |
$18,114,246 |
$9,185,734 |
50.71% |
Plainville |
Frank T. Wheeler School |
Renovation |
$22,805,000 |
$14,905,348 |
65.36% |
Windham |
Windham High School |
Renovation |
$71,670,200 |
$57,078,147 |
79.64% |
LEARN |
Ocean Avenue LEARNing Academy |
Regional special education, extension/ alteration |
$5,100,000 |
$4,080,000 |
80.00% |
Total |
19 projects |
$485,504,671 |
$239,955,642 |
Changes in Scope for an Existing Project
Table 2 below shows a previously authorized school construction project receiving a change in scope under the act. Originally approved as an alteration, the act approves the change as a renovation, which results in an increased cost.
Table 2: Project Seeking Change in Scope or Cost
District |
School |
Project |
Previous Grant Authorization |
Requested Grant Authorization |
Change |
Hartford |
Martin Luther King, Jr. |
Magnet school, renovation |
$54,400,000 |
$86,400,000 |
$32,000,000 |
§§ 2-8 — PROJECT EXEMPTIONS, WAIVERS, AND MODIFICATIONS
The act exempts certain school construction projects from various statutory and regulatory requirements to allow them to, among other things, qualify for (1) state reimbursement grants or (2) a higher level of reimbursement grant. These exemptions are referred to as “notwithstandings.”
Table 3: Exemptions, Waivers, and Other Modifications
Section |
Town |
School and Project |
Exemption, Waiver, or Other Change |
2 |
Norwalk |
South Norwalk School at Ely Site, new construction |
Waives the requirement to submit an application for the $37.3 million project prior to June 30, 2017 in order to be considered on the 2018 priority list, provided (1) an application is filed by December 1, 2018, (2) the application includes evidence showing the town possesses a clear, unencumbered title to the land that allows for construction, and (3) the project meets all other standard requirements |
3 |
Norwalk |
West Rocks Middle School, energy conservation and code violations |
Waives the state standard space requirements for grants to cover costs related to the removal of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in excess of the original project costs for (1) the energy conservation project (up to $350,000) and (2) the energy conservation and code violations project (up to $395,905); also increases the reimbursement rate to 100% for costs associated with the PCB removal up to a total cost of $745,905 |
4 |
Norwalk |
Norwalk High School, code violations |
(1) Waives the state requirement to notify DAS within seven days of discovering a code violation to make removal of PCBs at the school eligible for a grant and (2) increases the project reimbursement rate to 100% of the costs associated with the PCB removal up to a maximum of $600,000 |
5 |
Middletown |
Middletown High School, new construction |
Increases the project reimbursement rate from 65.7% to 69.6% |
6 |
Bristol |
Memorial Boulevard Middle School (has a temporary project designation, thus specific type of project not indicated) |
Waives the requirement to submit an application for the $54 million project prior to June 30, 2017 in order to be considered on the 2018 priority list, provided (1) the town received local share funding authorization on or before October 1, 2017 and (2) the project meets all other standard requirements |
7 |
Danbury |
Westside Middle School Academy, relocatable classrooms |
Waives the requirement to submit an application for the $1.1 million project prior to June 30, 2017 in order to be considered on the 2018 priority list, provided (1) the application is filed before June 1, 2018 and (2) the project meets all other standard requirements Authorizes a reimbursement rate of 80% for relocatable classrooms for costs up to $1.1 million |
8(a) |
CREC |
Each of the following nine projects are designated magnet school, new construction: Reggio Magnet School of the Arts, International Magnet School for Global Citizenship, Public Safety Academy, Medical Professions and Teacher Preparation Academy, Academy of Aerospace, Discovery Academy, Museum Academy, Anna Grace Elementary School (formerly Two Rivers School), and Aerospace Elementary; the last two schools are also site purchase projects |
Requires DAS to reimburse CREC for any remaining project costs that were previously ineligible for reimbursement for nine magnet schools |
8(b) |
CREC |
Anna Grace Elementary School, magnet, new construction, site purchase; Aerospace Elementary School, magnet, new construction, site purchase |
Makes DAS responsible for management and administration of the magnet school building projects for both schools |
§ 9 — SCHOOL BUILDING PROJECT MANAGERS
The act authorizes the administrative services commissioner to deny a town's application for a school building project grant if, in the application, the town designates a regional educational service center as the project manager. By law, there are a number of other criteria that the commissioner must consider when reviewing an application, such as various public health, fire safety, and educational standards.