The Connecticut Bond Commission this week approved separate grants of $477,647 to be used for capital projects at Ansonia and Derby public schools.
Capital projects include expensive repairs and upgrades to equipment and buildings.
In Ansonia, schools Superintendent Joseph DiBacco said a facilities committee will be meeting to review and prioritize projects for which the money can be used.
Those projects could include work on fire alarms within the school buildings, making security upgrades at three schools, replacing windows at the Mead School, or providing extra cooling services for the IT/server rooms at the Mead School and Ansonia High School.
The money could also be used to address any safety-related items with Ansonia school buildings, DiBacco wrote in an email.
In Derby, Superintendent Matthew Conway said the district is reviewing its five-year capital improvement plan to see what qualifies.
Conway noted the districts receiving the money must fill out an application to the state for specific projects. The application is due Oct. 23.
A wish list in Derby Public Schools includes:
- Upgrading school building restrooms by replacing old fixtures, partitions and other items
- Replacing old equipment in school cafeterias
- Purchasing a generator to support the district’s IT infrastructure
- Repair/upgrade the playground at Bradley School
- Replace the floor in the gym at Derby High School
Ansonia and Derby schools received the money because the districts are categorized as “alliance districts” in Connecticut. The designation includes under-performing school districts in poor communities. Both Ansonia and Derby are among the most economically-distressed communities in Connecticut, according to the state’s Department of Economic & Community Development.
The Bond Commission’s meeting agenda noted the grants were being awarded in accordance to state law governing “alliance districts.”
Municipalities are forbidden by state law to use the extra “alliance district” money to replace local education funding.
A search of the agenda from the meeting shows the school money was the only local allocation to Ansonia, Derby or Seymour.
