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

  • Elevating Campus Maintenance: How Power Wash Drones are Transforming Educational Facilities

    As today’s campuses grow larger and more architecturally complex, keeping exteriors clean, safe, and inviting has never been tougher. Facilities leaders are under constant pressure to stretch budgets, meet safety standards, and support sustainability goals—all while tackling the stubborn challenge of exterior cleaning.

  • California Middle School Completes Two New Academic Buildings

    Sunnyvale Middle School in Sunnyvale, Calif., recently announced that construction is complete on two new classroom buildings of two stories each, according to a district news release. The new wing will house seventh- and eighth-grade students and is part of a larger campus modernization project.

  • Florida SouthWestern State College, Skanska Partner for Humanities Hall Renovation

    Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) in Fort Myers, Fla., recently announced that it is partnering with construction firm Skanska to renovate the school’s Humanities Hall, according to a news release.

  • University of Rhode Island, Gilbane Partner for Three New Residence Halls

    The University of Rhode Island in Kingston, R.I., recently announced a public-private partnership with construction development firm Gilbane, according to a news release. Gilbane will soon start construction on three new residence halls with a total of 1,100 beds: two with apartment-style suites in northwest campus, and a reconstruction of the Graduate Village Apartments for graduate students.

Digital Edition