Milford school board’s capital plan anticipates $119M in improvements

MILFORD — From 2023 through 2027, Milford Public Schools is requesting to spend about $119 million for capital improvement across all of its schools. “This is not a budget but a plan,” said James Richetelli, the school district’s chief operations officer. “The plan looks at the district from a five-year perspective and even further out and presents the needs of the district as we see them at this time.” Richetelli, speaking to the school board recently, said the line items are more than $100,000, and they are not things typically found in the general budget. “What we’ve traditionally recommended are buildings and facilities. Because of the age of our facilities we need to constantly upkeep them,” he said. “But we believe that some of that focus needs to shift not just to facility needs, but to meet the needs of our programs and curriculum.” In 2022-23, the school district is requesting $22 million for capital improvements, which includes $2 million for a child learning center program space at Jonathan Law High School and $5 million for culinary program space and equipment at Law, Joseph A. Foran and The Academy high schools. Improvements to HVAC, ventilation, boilers and masonry and playground improvements are proposed for each of the five years. “We’ve seen the replacement of play areas has gotten too high for a replacement cycle,” said Richetelli. “So we’ve now started a replacement cycle through the capital improvement plan.” Following the request for $22 million, the school district is requesting $34 million in 2023-24, which includes $26 million for addition, alterations, renovations and general improvements at Harborside Middle School. “It will be a different middle school experience with our programming at Harborside if we don’t do something there first,” said Superintendent Anna Cutaia. “That’s why we couldn’t wait seven years to get to Harborside.” In the 2024-25 school year, the school district is requesting $12.5 million, which includes $5 million for air conditioning installation at various schools and $1.5 million for a media center at Calf Pen Meadow Elementary School. The following year, 2025-26, the school district is requesting some $24 million which includes $15 million for general improvements at Calf Pen Meadow Elementary School and $1.3 million for a media center at Live Oaks Elementary School. “The capital improvement plan is a function of the city, and the city allocates the dollars,” said Susan Glennon, board chair. “When we get into these huge projects, the city usually puts in a limit on what the project can reach. This is bonded money, and it adds to the city’s debt service, and that’s something the city has to consider.” In the final year of the capital improvement plan, 2026-27, the school district is requesting $27 million, including $17 million for general improvements at Live Oaks Elementary School and $5 million for artificial turf replacement at Law and Foran high schools.

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