Board Of Education Takes Action On Future Of Milford Middle Schools

MILFORD, CT — The Board of Education voted Monday night to consolidate from three middle schools to two middle schools.

The result is the "eventual retirement" of Harborside Middle School.

"We want to be clear that this decision will not take effect immediately and will not impact the upcoming school year nor current middle school students," the district said in a statement. "This will be a years-long process, and throughout that time, we are committed to supporting every student, family, and staff member."

West Shore and East Shore middle schools will be rebuilt under the new plan.

Milford school officials were considering three possible paths for the future of the district’s middle schools as part of a long-range facilities planning process.

Officials said the district’s middle school buildings — West Shore, Harborside, and East Shore — were built between 1950 and 1969 and face growing challenges related to aging infrastructure and outdated learning spaces. Consultants also noted that each school enrolls fewer than 450 students, which can limit programming opportunities.

Three scenarios were presented for consideration. One involved keeping all three middle schools open but renovating them. Another included building building two new schools to replace the existing buildings.

The option the board ultimately chose was referred to as Scenario 2, which closes Harborside and reconstructs the other two schools.

The remaining buildings will undergo major renovations to modernize the schools while also being expanded to accommodate additional students.

Additions could be constructed to create larger gyms, science labs, and specialized instructional spaces.

"Two right-sized middle schools will allow the district to better align with national enrollment standards, while supporting a stronger balance of resources, so we can invest more effectively in both facilities and student programming," the district said in a statement.

Supporters of this approach said it could create more opportunities for collaboration among teachers and provide efficiencies by concentrating resources in fewer buildings. Concerns raised during a recent meeting included transportation logistics, larger student populations at each school, and questions about parking and lunch scheduling.

The estimated construction cost for this option is about $195 million.

Officials said the estimates represent construction costs only and could change during the design process.

"We want to acknowledge the deep connection many members of our community have with Harborside Middle School," the district said in a statement. "For generations of students, families, and staff, Harborside has been a place of learning, friendships, and important milestones. We understand that this news may be difficult for many in our community, and this decision was not made lightly."

The district said that class sizes will not increase with the change.

Additionally, a consultant working with the district said there is "currently no viable land available to support a single consolidated high school." Therefore, the board is moving forward to improve the two existing high schools.

The full district statement is available by clicking here.