The Danbury (Conn.) district is planning to acquire a 240,000-square-foot office building to house a career academy for middle and high school students.
The district is expected to pay $144.5 million for the 30-acre property, which will provide space for about 1,100 high school and 360 middle school students, reports The Connecticut Examiner.
High school students will be housed in the south wing of the building, which will feature a cafeteria on the first floor and classrooms on the second, third and fourth floors along with multiple science labs and a greenhouse.
Middle school students will be housed in the north wing of the building, with a gymnasium on the first floor and classrooms on the second and third floors.
The building also has enough space to house the board of education offices.
Most of the funding for the career academy will come from a $99 million bond issue approved in 2021. But because the purchase price has risen to $144.5 million, the city will need to approve another bond for the project.
The state has agreed to pay 80%of the career academy’s construction costs.
That the academy will have six career tracks and will also house the STEM and business programs.
If the sale is approved, the career academy is expected to open in fall 2024.
