The Westport (Conn.) district has reopened Coleytown Middle School after a $32 million renovation.
The Westport News reports that the overhaul of the school was carried out after the building closed in 2018 because of mold problems
“It’s overwhelming, it feels like home,” Coleytown Middle School Principal Kris Szabo said after re-entering the newly renovated school.
Szabo said all of the hallways have new tiles, all windows were replaced, and a new HVAC system was installed. The library also had a huge overhaul with flexible furniture and new books added.
Coleyown staff and students have spent the past two years sharing space at Bedford Middle School, a situation made more challenging during the coronavirus pandemic.
"I think one of the challenges for teachers was having the privacy to make phone calls and contact parents via email,” Szabo said. “Now, they can go in, sit at their desk, make those calls and respond to those emails. That’s a huge part of their job — parent communication.”
Szabo said teachers also had to constantly change classrooms at Bedford, but now their work flow does not have to be interrupted.
Building Committee Chair Don O’Day said work will continue on the exterior of the school for the next two months, but by spring everything will be completed.
