ANSONIA – The firm overseeing the design of the city’s new middle school is scheduled to hold a meeting Sept. 30 where members of the public can give their input on what the new school should look like.
The meeting is scheduled to take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the media room at Ansonia High School (20 Pulaski Highway). People interested in attending are asked to RSVP by emailing Superintendent of Schools Joseph DiBacco at jdibacco@ansonia.org.
In May, Tecton Architects, the firm overseeing the school’s design, was hired by the city for $4.64 million to provide architectural and engineering services on the project. The goal is to open a new middle school on Pulaski Highway in fall 2029.
The meeting will allow members of the public to have a say as the design plans are put together, according to Justin Hopkins, a principal at Tecton.
“Students, educators, parents, staff, board members, and community leaders will participate in hands-on activities designed to spark conversation, share ideas, and identify what makes Ansonia unique,” Hopkins wrote in an email.
The meeting’s discussions are intended to “serve as the foundation for the school’s design and help ensure the new learning environment reflects the community it will serve for generations to come,” he wrote.
Attendees are also asked to bring along photos that inspire them – such as photos from Ansonia’s history, as well as photos of modern school environments.
School officials have said Ansonia needs a new middle school to replace the more-than-85-year-old building on Howard Avenue for years. The project was mired in land and legal disputes until 2025, when the Aldermen approved a $4.5 million land purchase at 64 – 78 Pulaski Highway to hold the new middle school.
The wooded lot is near Ansonia High School, on land formerly owned by the Overchuk family.
The total budget for the project is about $87.4 million, according to documents previously shared by city officials. Voters approved borrowing up to $100 million for it in 2023.
Most of the money – up to about 87 percent of the costs – should be reimbursed to Ansonia by the state under a rate set by state lawmakers in 2024.
Also included in the project is the construction of a new administrative office to replace the current Robert E. Zuraw building on Grove Street.
A 2019 conditions assessment found that the current building has extensive code compliance issues and other problems including broken windows, rust and mildew.
The new office is planned to be built on the same parcel as the new middle school.
See the flyer below, from the City of Ansonia Facebook page, for more details.
