The replacement of the current Bungay Elementary School that is planned in Seymour, Conn., could be open for students as early as 2028, Town Selectman Fred Stanek, co-chair of the school's building committee, announced in a special meeting.
Residents overwhelmingly approved building a new elementary school under the same name for $60 million in October's referendum by a count of 1,744 to 391. The new building will be constructed where the playing fields are now at the site of the existing 71-year-old school. In addition, the old school is due to remain in use during the construction process, CT Post revealed Dec. 14.
Stanek said Seymour officials applied to the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services on Dec. 15 for a determination of the reimbursement amount. Now, he hopes the plan will be put on the priority list and go before the state legislature for approval in May or early June 2026.
The town's building committee could expect to review bids from architects as early as its Jan. 13 meeting, with a recommendation on who to hire by March 10, town officials told CT Post.
The design process would take 10 to 12 months, which Stanek noted could conclude in December 2026, allowing for construction to start in February 2027. This would mean the new school could open in the fall of 2028.
"I'm optimistic that the timeframe that we're working with is going to be effective," he said.
If the application is not approved, Seymour municipal officials would have to resubmit by June 30, 2026.
Bungay Elementary was originally built in 1954 and, along with Chatfield-LoPresti, is one of two elementary schools in the town. It was last renovated nearly 30 years ago, in 1996, with the addition of a first-grade wing.
In 2025, Bungay Elementary numbers 450 students and 70 staff members spread across its kindergarten through 5th grade classrooms.
Today's Bungay Elementary Has Become Worn Out
Erecting an entirely new building is anticipated to be cheaper than renovating the existing structure to like-new, Stanek said, with the town likely to pay no more than $20 million of its own money outside of the state reimbursements it is likely to receive.
Bungay Elementary School has severe maintenance issues that need to be addressed, according to an assessment conducted in 2023.
For example, it has no universal air conditioning. Some classrooms have exterior window units, and not all of them are effective due to the original single-pane windows and rotting wood frames that have caused seals to crack and air to leak through. Polyethylene foam pool noodles are used in some rooms to fill cracks so as to keep cold air and dirt out.
"The [old school] building is just tired," Stanek said.
Other issues at the decrepit structure include an undersized gymnasium and little room for library space, deteriorating flooring that needs to be replaced and security vulnerabilities due to the building's out-of-date layout, as evidenced by the cafeteria's location on the front side of the building and its large window bays. In addition, there is a lack of storage, parking and special education spaces as well.
An architect was hired to create a tentative concept plan, which would add a second floor with a smaller footprint. It also would contain new facilities, including shared classroom spaces, a combined library and STEM lab, a larger gym and a sensory room, CT Post noted.
"I'd like to say that the rebuild of the Bungay school will [almost be] a final chapter in upgrading our four schools to 21st century learning centers," Stanek said.
Nevertheless, he added, "We're [still] going to be in very good shape with 21st century learning."
Located northwest of New Haven, the Seymour Public School system also has both a middle and a high school and has an overall population of approximately 2,100 students.
