Bricks and Mortar: 01/12/2026

The February 2, 2026 special meeting has been rescheduled to February 23, 2026.

The date was updated in this newsletter.

A meeting summary for Weston residents prepared by the Board of Education Communications Committee.

BACKGROUND

The Weston Board of Education (BOE) is holding special monthly meetings from December 2025 until June 2026 to plan how to update Weston Public Schools’ (District) campus.

The December 1, 2025 meeting gave BOE members and the public a shared understanding of what the BOE has done so far to examine the conditions of all District buildings and consider how to update the middle school. School construction and design professionals also joined the meeting to explain the state reimbursement process.

First Selectwoman Samantha Nestor joined the January 7, 2026 meeting to share information about the Town’s capital projects so that BOE members and the public could learn about upcoming capital needs in addition to updating the District’s campus.

To learn more, you can watch the meetings here and review what’s already been done here.

WHERE WE'VE BEEN SO FAR

Past Studies and Actions

• Studies conducted between 2017 and 2022 assessed the condition of all District buildings, recommended capital projects, and looked at whether the District should have three or four school buildings.
• In 2024, an architecture firm completed an educational specification for a middle school (grades 6-8), because the middle school needs the most immediate work.
• In December 2024, the BOE voted to keep four school buildings.
• In May 2024, the BOE voted to recommend that the town build a new middle school.
• In February 2025, SLAM Collaborative (SLAM), an architecture firm that specializes in school construction and design, confirmed that the middle school is structurally sound and can be renovated.

WHAT WE LEARNED AT THE MEETINGS

Who Does What? General Overview of BOE, Town, and State Roles

• BOE: decides what building project the District needs, and, if the town votes to approve it, prepares a grant application to seek state reimbursement.
• Board of Finance: recommends that the Board of Selectmen approve a referendum to authorize funding for the BOE’s project.
• Board of Selectmen: approves a referendum (town vote) to fund the project.
• Town voters: vote whether to fund the project in the town referendum.
• Board of Selectmen: if the town approves the referendum, passes required resolutions so the BOE can apply for state reimbursement.
• State: reimburses the town for a portion of the building project cost.

How the State Grant Process Works

• The BOE can file a state grant application by June 30 of any given year.
• The state usually authorizes the reimbursement funding one year later.
• The state decides the size of the building it will reimburse based on:
• The highest expected enrollment within eight years of the grant application.
• A state formula that sets the appropriate building size.
• State reimbursement rates for Weston in 2026:
• Up to 12.5% for eligible work in a new construction.
• Up to 22.14% for eligible work in a renovation.

The Town’s Future Capital Projects

• Town office facilities are deteriorating and employees need to move to new facilities.
• The Town is upgrading the Town and District water treatment system.
• The Town’s existing septic facility is at capacity, which limits expansion plans.
• Town Hall requires an HVAC upgrade within the next five years.
• The Town must comply with the state’s electric-bus mandate by 2040.

The District’s Future Capital Projects

• The District requires $33 million in capital improvements over the next ten years.
• Indoor air quality (heating, cooling, and ventilation) requires $12 million.
• Other significant construction requires $12 million.
• Other projects across the District require $9 million.

WHAT'S NEXT

• SLAM recommended a more detailed study of the middle school to determine needs and cost estimates associated with renovating or constructing a new building.
• The BOE approved this study in the December 15, 2025 regular meeting.
• BOE members made no decisions regarding what was discussed, but they brainstormed additional ideas and topics that they want to consider next:
• Financial impact to the town.
• Explore options for space: space use across all District buildings, creation of magnet school (receives higher reimbursement), etc.
• How to make sure all District buildings get the care they need.
• How to work closely with the Boards of Finance and Selectmen.
• Ways to communicate with the public.
• BOE members also brainstormed criteria to evaluate options for a new facility:
• Affordability, flexibility to accommodate future changes, better use of space.
• Will it be a wise investment, serve students well, and stand the test of time?
• Maximization of educational delivery, town reputation, housing prices.
• District administration will consider the educational impact of various grade configurations housed within a school:
• Grades PK-K, PK-1, grades 1-4, grades 2-5, grades 3-6, grades 5-8, grades 7-8, one school that houses grades 2-4 and grades 5-8 separately.
• The BOE’s goal is to apply for a state reimbursement grant by June 2026.
• The BOE intends to submit a proposal for a referendum in November 2026.

The BOE Communications Committee will continue to issue summaries of the special meetings on this topic. You can also watch our next special meeting on February 23, 2026 at 7:00 pm here (rescheduled from February 2, 2026) or find the link in the District Calendar at www.westonps.org.