District Master Plan

A summary of the basic statistics of each facility, including the square footage, vintage, acreage, etc.

Meaningful data about the physical state of the buildings and grounds, gathered via on-site inspections. This information provides insight and aids in the completion of a long-term Capital Management Plan that focuses on the district’s facilities and their mechanical infrastructures.

A comprehensive look at the building’s impact on educational delivery with regard to program offerings, educational environment, and student experience. Completed in collaboration with district leadership, faculty and staff, this component also outlines opportunities to address the district’s foundational and aspirational goals, remediate logistics and capacity challenges, and support 21st Century Learning initiatives.

In addition to the three components outlined above, the Supplemental Materials section of the report contains the demographic study for enrollment projections.

This initial information helped define priority tiers for the district’s school facilities. Though there are opportunities for improvement in each grouping, Tier 1 priorities present the opportunity to comprehensively address the greatest programmatic and condition needs. These locations include Booth Hill Elementary School, Hillcrest Middle School, Daniels Farm Elementary School, Jane Ryan Elementary School, REACH and the Long Hill Administration Building (since modified to a lower tier), and the possibility of Madison Middle School elevating to a Tier 1 project.

In addition to the technical components outlined above, a series of options were developed that included possibilities for new builds, renovations and yearly capital improvements. These options were continually refined through a collaborative process with a diverse group of stakeholders. From BOE workshops to Community Conversations and surveys, the planning process garnered feedback from residents, staff, educators, board members and administrators. The presentations and community engagement materials utilized throughout this process can be found in the Supplemental Materials section of the report.

This planning process illuminated opportunities within the district and sought creative solutions to its challenges. Several considerations were critical when developing planning options and ultimately, in selecting a preferred direction. These included:

·       District Needs – ability to address capacity issues and prioritize programmatic needs. 

·       Logistics Considerations – site capacity and availability of “swing space” (i.e. where students are housed during construction in order to minimize disruption).

·       Fiscal Responsibility – maximizing reimbursement from the State of Connecticut and creating value for the Trumbull community.

As of March 2024, the Conditions Assessment and Master Plan report has been completed, but the work continues as the district enters the grant application process with the “first step” in the preferred plan.  The “first step” in the plan is to build a new Hillcrest Middle School and the grant application is due on June 30, 2024.

The grant application is due on June 30, 2024, and a referendum is anticipated on November 5, 2024.  If the referendum passes and the project is placed on the priority list by the state, it moves to the legislature for approval during the Spring session in 2025. It is at this point that municipalities and districts typically begin the design and construction process.

After the fall referendum, it will take approximately 4 to 5 years to fully complete the design and construction process.

Absolutely. The assessment report and master plan are intended to serve the district for years to come and guide the decision-making process. The preferred plan, as presented to the Board of Education on August 15, 2023, can be found on the project website and in the Supplemental Materials section of the report. The plan as outlined may evolve over time to adapt to changing district needs.

An in-depth assessment of each building across several criteria resulted in the allocation of buildings into priority tiers.  The criteria, or types of analysis conducted, included:

• Capacity Analysis – a benchmark of existing building gross square footage and current enrollment against a recommended square foot per student guideline provided by the state.  
• Allowable Square Footage Analysis – a benchmark based upon a recommended square foot per student guideline provided by the state for the highest enrollment in an 8-year window. This information tells us the total square footage the state will reimburse for on a project for that student population.
• Core Spaces Analysis – a benchmark of existing core spaces such as Gym, Cafeteria and Media Center, against a guideline provided by the state based upon the highest enrollment in an 8-year window. This information tells us if these core spaces can support the change in enrollment, and how they compare to a state recommended square footage. 
• Plan Efficiency – an evaluation of the usable space ratio to illustrate the efficiency or inefficiency within an existing building. Often in older structures that have received multiple building additions, a low efficiency ratio is expected due to increased circulation. The analysis compares the usable areas for education against the gross building square footage to reveal a percentage. Ideally, a building plan should be between 70-75% efficient.  
• Building Information – a summary of the basic statistics of each facility, including the square footage, vintage, acreage, topography, GIS identified wetlands, etc.
•  Physical Conditions Assessment – meaningful data about the physical state of the building exterior materials and envelope, interior finishes, millwork, building systems and grounds, gathered via on-site inspections. Code and life safety systems analysis was also included. 
•  Programmatic Assessment – a comprehensive look at the building’s impact on educational delivery with regard to program offerings, educational environment, and student experience. Completed in collaboration with district leadership, faculty and staff, this component also outlines opportunities to address the district’s foundational and aspirational goals, remediate logistics and capacity challenges, and support 21st Century Learning initiatives.

This initial information helped define priority tiers for the district’s school facilities. Though there are opportunities for improvement in each grouping, Tier 1 priorities present the opportunity to comprehensively address the greatest programmatic and condition needs. These locations include Booth Hill Elementary School, Hillcrest Middle School, Daniels Farm Elementary School, Jane Ryan Elementary School, REACH and the Long Hill Administration Building (since modified to a lower tier), and the possibility of Madison Middle School elevating to a Tier 1 project.

The “first step” in the plan is to build a new Hillcrest Middle School on the existing site and consider relocating/ regionalizing REACH as a stand-alone building on the Hillcrest site.

This first step could potentially create the opportunity to use all or a portion of the existing Hillcrest Middle School as swing space for an elementary school renewal program. However, the district has flexibility within the plan to identify a different direction for Step 2. 

Following Hillcrest, the schools listed below will be subsequently addressed, although the order may evolve over time:

• ·       Booth Hill Elementary School (New or RNV) 
• ·       Jane Ryan Elementary School (New or RNV)
• ·       Daniels Farm Elementary School (New or RNV)
• ·       Madison Middle School (New or RNV)

The remaining buildings in the district portfolio would be addressed thereafter. 

A grant application is an electronically submitted collection of project criteria identified by the state for their review and approval.  The critical piece for the state, is the completion of an overall district master plan, to be able to understand how the current application fits into the long-term strategy.  Regarding the application itself, contents include:

• Enrollment Projections (highest in 8-year period)
• Space Standards Worksheet (SCG-2500)
• Site Analysis SCG-053 (Site Impacts, FMC, Phase I, Geotechnical, CT Gen Stat § 8-24)
• Cost Estimate (SCG-2000, Uniformat online)
• Development of Educational Specifications 
• School Safety and Security Letter SCG-9000, Approval from DEMHS
• Approval for Renovation Status (As appropriate) (SCG-3500) – Not needed for Hillcrest
• BOE Approval of Educational Specifications
• Certified Resolutions (Approval to authorize grant submission, Form a building committee, Set referendum, Proceed with schematic drawings)
• Approval of Funding (Referendum - Certified Vote Count)

This project website contains the full Conditions Assessment and Master Plan, the Demographics Report, and all the presentations from past community events, along with video recordings. If you have additional questions, please email us.