A $70 million comprehensive renovation of the Stanley H. Holmes Elementary School on Stanley Street near A.W. Stanley Park is on schedule for re-opening in the fall of 2026.
Members of the School Building Committee toured the school construction site on August 20th and heard from Construction Manager Kamil Musical of Newfield Construction that more than half of the rebuilding and expansion of the K-5, 460-pupil school is complete.
The project adds a courtyard linking the original structure and a new, two-story wing. Spaces for individualized learning and soundproof classrooms are part of the enhancements at the school constructed in 1956. The re-design will allow school busses to enter and exit from Stanley Street instead of using adjacent residential streets for traffic flow.
Newfield Construction reports that New Britain residents comprise 14 percent of project employees and 51% are from minority groups. Building trades union members make up the work force under prevailing wage agreements.
Ninety-five (95) percent of the costs for Holmes are being met by state school construction bonds. As work continues toward completion at the end of this school year, the city has received $9,858.059 in reimbursements thus far.
Through the efforts of the city’s legislative delegation, including State Rep. Robert “Bobby” Sanchez (D-25), a former Chair and current member of the Legislature’s Education Committee, state support for school construction in New Britain has exceeded 90 percent for the Holmes, Chamberlain and Smalley school renovations in recent years. State bonds for school construction generally meet up to 80 percent of capital costs in most cities and towns.
The John Paul II School on Farmington Avenue (formerly Holy Cross School) is housing Holmes’ staff and teachers through the end of the 2025-2026 School year. JPII School has been the temporary location for schools’ undergoing construction in recent years, including the Smalley and Chamberlain elementary schools in lease agreements with Holy Cross Church and the Archdiocese of Hartford.
The School Building Committee (SBC) meets Wednesdays on a monthly basis “to oversee school building projects authorized through bond funding as approved by the New Britain Common Council.” The SBC is a key decision maker in terms of capital expenditures in city government. Once plans are approved by the Common Council and Board of Education, the SBC “engages, selects, and enters into or continues all necessary contracts with contractors, architects, landscape architects, or engineers, and within the limits of the appropriations made by the council. ” Angelo D’Alfonso is the current chairperson and Attorney Michael Carrier is Vice Chair.
This update provided by Alderman John McNamara
(Ward 4 Alderman and Common Council Majority Leader John McNamara is a Council Liaison to the School Building Committee)
New Britain Alderman John McNamara 