Middletown breaks ground for new school
After years of planning, $87.35 million middle school project begins
MIDDLETOWN – Surrounded by red dirt and black construction fencing, Middletown officials celebrated the official groundbreaking of the new middle school Wednesday morning.
“This is a major investment for our children, for our community,” Superintendent Michael Conner said.
The $87.35 million project was approved by Middletown voters during a 2017 referendum and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2021. The school, which will be home to the city’s sixth, seventh and eighth graders, will replace both Keigwin Middle School and the aging Woodrow Wilson Middle School.
“This is the first time a new middle school has been constructed here since the 1960s,” Mayor Daniel Drew said. “It’s a huge project.”
The 150,000-square-foot new school will be three stories high and hold 919 children. Building committee chair and common council member Mary Bartolotta said the school will be a state-ofthe-art facility with up to date amenities and security features for students, including a new auditorium and STEAM labs. Plans to make the building as energy efficient as possible are also included.
“I’m proud to say we’re on time and under budget,” Bartolotta said. “It’s going to be a state of the art facility.”
Bartolotta said that the new school’s proximity to the board of education offices and the Pat Kidney Sports complex will create a campus-like environment. While the Woodrow Wilson Middle School’s auditorium was demolished earlier this year, the pool on site will be left standing for the community’s recreational use.
“The biggest thing for me is knowing we are building a middle school for our kids, our parents and our city and this is the best location by far,” Barolotta said. “It’s going to be a beautiful campus. It’s going to have the top security our children need.”
At Wednesday’s groundbreaking, eight students gave town officials a hand with the groundbreaking, donning gold hard hats and digging into the soil with golden shovels.
“This project isn’t just for our community. It’s going to propel education further in our community,” Conner said.
Board of education Chairman Chris Drake said that construction of the building is expected to begin in November. Site prep, like demolishing the old auditorium, has been ongoing.
“There’s a lot of hard work that goes into the process before you even put a shovel in the ground,” he said.
While construction is ongoing, the board of education is tasked with naming the new school. Over the summer, the board invited residents to weigh in on a new name. Some residents advocated for keeping Woodrow Wilson Middle School, while others argued for a name that celebrates Middletown’s diversity.
Drake said three names are on the table — Beman Middle School, Beman Douglas Middle School and Mattabesec Middle School. The board is expected to meet in early October to make a final decision.
Kathleen McWilliams can be reached at kmcwilliams@courant.com.