Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Supply-Chain Issues Delay Opening of Connecticut Elementary School

  • By Matt Jones
  • 12/20/22

Brookfield Public Schools in Brookfield, Conn., recently announced that the move-in date for its new elementary school has been delayed following a series of supply-chain issues, according to local news. Candlewood Lake Elementary, originally scheduled for completion by the end of 2022, will instead be finished in late May or early June of 2023, and staff and students will move into the facility in time for the fall 2023 semester. The new school measures in at 139,000 square feet and has an estimated $78.1-million budget, local news reports.

The district previously announced that due to delays in the availability of flooring materials, the school’s opening would have to be pushed off. In a Dec. 15 letter to parents and the larger school community posted on the district website, school leadership announced the new move-in date—as well as a shift in the move-in plan. Originally, students and staff would have phased into the new building during the spring 2023 semester. Now, the entire PreK–5 community will start the 2023–24 academic year together in the same place.

The new school will have the capacity for more than 1,000 students and 200 teachers and staff.

The school’s originally scheduled flooring provider filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this year. Municipal Building Committee chair Paul Checco said that the loss of this supplier created a “ripple effect” in the market as other flooring manufacturers experienced a rise in demand. The project also experienced a previous delay of three to four months in Nov. 2021 related to the delivery of roofing materials.

“The good news is we are able to stay on the original plan that the entire Pre-K through Fifth Grade will be in the new school together to start the 2023–2024 school year on September 5th, right after Labor Day,” said the letter. “This provides us with the opportunity to become one school community together, at the same time, as originally envisioned when CLES opens its doors.”

The district is partnering with construction firm O&G.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Houston K–12 District Opens New Elementary School

    The Lamar Consolidated Independent School District (Lamar CISD) recently announced the completion of a new elementary school in a western suburb of Houston, Texas, according to a news release. Haygood Elementary School measures in at 110,000 square feet, has the capacity for 854 students, and is the first of three new schools scheduled to be built in the Cross Creek West community.

  • Benson Polytechnic High School in Portland, OR

    Preserving Legacy, Designing for the Future

    As historic academic buildings age, institutions face a difficult decision: preserve and adapt or demolish and rebuild. How do we honor the legacy of these spaces while adapting them to meet the needs of modern learners?

  • UT System Board of Regents Approves $108M Housing Complex

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently announced the approval of a new, $108-million housing complex at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), according to a news release. The facility will stand four stories and have a total of 456 new beds for freshmen students.

  • Preparing for the Next Era of Healthcare Education, Innovation

    Across the country, public universities and community colleges are accelerating investments in healthcare education facilities as part of a broader strategy to address workforce shortages, modernize outdated infrastructure, and expand clinical training capacity. These projects, which are often located at the center of campus health and science districts, are no longer limited to traditional classrooms.

Digital Edition