Real Quick
The vote on a new Bungay School is Oct. 9, 2025.
SEYMOUR – About 40 residents attended a town meeting at Seymour Town Hall Tuesday (Sept. 16) about a proposal to build a new $60 million Bungay School on the existing school grounds on Bungay Road.
The meeting was held for residents to ask questions about the proposal and to approve a resolution to move it to a referendum.
The Seymour Board of Selectpersons approved a resolution that will ask residents to appropriate $60 million for the construction of a new elementary school and finance the school by issuing town bonds or notes in an amount not to exceed $20 million.
Registered voters will be asked to cast ballots on building the new school at a referendum scheduled for 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 9 at the Seymour Community Center, 20 Pine St.
New Construction Vs. Renovation
Officials said building a new school is cheaper than renovating the existing 71-year-old building.
Officials from Antinozzi Associates, an architectural firm, said a new school would cost $58.1 million. A renovation would cost $58.6 million.
Kurt Miller said the price to build a new school is actually $60 million, when attorney fees and costs related to bonding are thrown in. Miller is the town treasurer and the First Selectwoman’s chief administrative officer.
Fred Stanek said a renovation would cost $60.5 million if the other fees and related bonding expenses are thrown in. Stanek is a member of the Board of Selectpersons and the Bungay School Building Committee.
While a newly-constructed school is estimated to cost $60 million, the town will be on the hook for $20 million after state reimbursement, according to town officials.
Miller said someone with a house assessed at $300,000 would pay about $198 more in taxes if voters approve the new school.
Click the play button below to watch the meeting about the Bungay School project.
What Residents Are Saying
During Tuesday’s (Sept. 16) meeting about a dozen residents stood up to share their opinions on the upcoming referendum. Most speakers expressed support.
Lily Moir is a senior at Seymour High School who attended Bungay when she was younger.
“For me, Bungay School is not just a school, it’s the foundation of Seymour, and right now that foundation is showing its age,” she said. “From when I was at Bungay, there’s always been lots of comparisons between Chatfield (school) and Bungay, because Chatfield had air conditioning and better infrastructure. There was always that silly little rivalry between Bungay and Chatfield kids. Every Seymour student deserves pride in where they come from. Investing in Bungay is investing in Seymour’s future.”
Local realtor Nickie O’Toole said building a new school is a better option than pouring money into a school that was built more than seven decades ago.
“For the sake of our kids and the next generation and our legacy, we need a new school,” O’Toole said. “This school was built in the 1950s and when I sell old houses, it’s a money pit. The last thing we need is a money pit renovated.”
Resident Tony Chaveri wasn’t convinced that building new will be a better deal than renovating.
“How is it okay to spend almost $70 million – are we getting the Cadillac of a remodel or are we getting just what we need?” Chaveri said.
Background
Bungay School was built in 1954 and was last renovated in 1996 when a first-grade classroom wing was added.
Two committees – first a “Bungay School Facility Needs Study Committee” and then a “Bungay Elementary School Building Committee” – spent more than a year detailing infrastructure issues at the school and studying the best route to take to address those issues.
Bungay has its original windows, bathrooms and flooring. Its cooling system can’t keep up when temperatures rise. The building lacks air conditioning in the gymnasium. The building is also short on storage and parking. Click here for a previous story.
“The majority of Bungay Elementary School was built over 70 years ago to accommodate teaching methods of the 1950s,” Stanek said. “The building lacks the infrastructure needed for 21st century learning.”
According to conceptual plans created by Antinozzi Associates, a new, split-level school would be built on the campus at 35 Bungay Rd. The existing school would be demolished. A new softball field and multi-purpose field would be built on the existing school footprint. There would also be separate areas for bus drop-offs and parent drop-offs.
The new school would be built where the playing fields are now.
If the referendum is approved, students will use the existing school while the new school is built.
Learn More
A grassroots community group, the Bungay School Rebuild Alliance, was formed last year by a group of parents and community members to advocate for the passage of the referendum question.
The group has several upcoming events planned. A walk-through of Bungay Elementary School is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. Monday, Sept. 29.
Community Zoom information sessions are also planned for Oct. 2 and Oct. 7. Details with Zoom log-in information will be posted on BSRA’s website and Facebook page.