The new Roxbury Elementary School will increase capacity from 500 to 850 students and expand grade levels served through eighth grade. | Photo Credit: TSKP Studio
By Lindsey Coulter
STAMFORD, Conn. — Stamford officials have approved plans for construction of the new Roxbury Elementary School, advancing one of the city’s largest K-12 capital projects as part of the broader, $1.5 billion Stamford Public Schools Long-term Facilities Plan to improve facilities across the city.
The Stamford Planning Board voted Dec. 19 to approve the project, which will replace the existing 70-year-old Roxbury Elementary School. The new facility is being funded in part through House Bill 7288, which provides significant state support for school construction projects across Connecticut. The project’s next steps include a bid-authorization meeting with state officials, along with final approvals required from city and state agencies.
In December 2022, the state increased its reimbursement rate for eligible school construction projects to 60%, up from 20%, a change that will apply to the new Roxbury K-8 school. Roxbury was added to the state’s priority list that same month, and formal design work began in December 2023. Construction is expected to begin in late 2026, with the school now slated to open during the 2028-29 school year. Earlier projections had targeted occupancy in the 2027-28 school year, but the building timeline has been extended by rising construction costs. Another significant project now underway, Westhill High School, was initially estimated at $301 million but has seen its projected cost increase to $461 million. Similarly, the Roxbury Elementary School project was first budgeted at $86 million when announced in 2022 and is now estimated at $130 million.
The new Roxbury Elementary School will increase capacity from 500 to 850 students and expand grade levels served through eighth grade. In addition to addressing long-standing maintenance and repair issues, the school will be organized around nine learning pods, each dedicated to a specific grade, where students will spend the majority of their school day to reduce circulation. All pods will include restrooms and breakout spaces and will be connected by a central corridor. The project also includes a shared media center, cafeteria and library as well as a modern gymnasium that will conserve square footage by also serving as a performance space. In addition to new outdoor play areas, the project will include sustainability upgrades, such as the installation of geothermal wells, expanded parking capacity, and safer school bus and parent pickup loops.
The existing K-5 Roxbury Elementary School will remain in operation throughout the construction of the new building. The project will require the demolition of several portable structures that have been used as temporary classrooms for decades to address overcrowding. Once the new facility is operational, the existing school building will be demolished.
The project team includes TSKP Studio as architect, O&G Industries as construction manager, and Arcadis U.S. Inc. providing project management services. Program planning for the new Roxbury school is complete, and design work is currently underway.