A small crowd got a big look yesterday at the new Long Lots Elementary and Stepping Stones Preschool.
Building Committee chair Jay Keenan, with his committee and representatives of FCA Architects, presented exterior and interior plans of the new school, and an update on construction.
Aerial rendering of the new school. Hyde Lane is at the bottom.
Work on the foundation has begun. Geothermal wells on the lower fields have been completed.
Work on the lower athletic fields at Long Lots (right). The former baseball field as at left.
The school — set to open in January of 2028 — is on target to meet or exceed state sustainability targets.
The architecture — with gabled roofs and warm colors — aims for a “cozy and classic New England setting.”
Because the school is built on a hill, both the lower and upper levels will have at-grade access.
The lower floor will include 2nd through 5th grade classrooms, with a gym at the rear.
Gymnasium.
The upper floor will have separate entrances for kindergarten/1st grade, and the Stepping Stones preschool. The cafeteria is on that level.
The upper level, with a 2-story atrium and plenty of light.
Interior features include a double-height atrium, a multi-purpose room, a media center with 2 classrooms and 2 tiered reading areas, and quiet “nooks” throughout the school.
A courtyard will offer benches, an amphitheater, and areas for teaching.
Courtyard.
There will be 3 playgrounds: one for Stepping Stones, one for elementary students, and the current playground named for Sandy Hook victim Dylan Hockley, which will remain.
The bus loop and parent drop-off areas will be completely separate.
Parent drop-off (left) and bus loop (right). Hyde Lane would be at the bottom.
Attendees — a mix of Long Lots parents, school neighbors and curious residents — gave the plans and computer renderings high marks.
“I wish I could go there myself,” said one.
A short video, showing the school plans in “action,” will be posted sometime today on the Long Lots School Building Committee website.
Bus loop and main entrance.
A main corridor, leading to the gym. Multi-purpose room is at left.
Multi-purpose room.
Classroom corridor.
Cafeteria.
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At $851 dollars a square foot, this school will be the priciest in Connecticut among comparable schools, and the price will only increase due to inflation and tariffs! It still is shocking that a school built in 1953 and renovated in the 1990s needs to be demolished and not renovated. Moreover, the school population is declining and will decline even further.
Beautiful job, LLSBC! You have proven your desire to design a ground-breaking school which will serve generations to come. You’ve been transparent on process, costs, and community impact. Now, let’s get it done!
Didn’t Westport lose about a million dollars in state funding because they missed a 2025 deadline? That’s very significant, if it’s accurate, and petty much a million dollar blunder.