[seymourct]

Seymour's Chatfield School Expansion town building committee wants to expand an elementary in Seymour by making it 2 floors? It is currently only 1 floor. I thought new elementary schools, and expanded schools were not supposed to be 2 floors for fire safety issues. Does anyone have any info on this topic?

I seem to remember somewhere hearing that 2 story elementary schools were stopped due in part to some bad fire incidents?

They say they are doing this to close the 100 year old Lopresti School and bring the kids over to Chatfield.

[JayCT]

There are no laws requiring that new schools be one level. Many new schools that I know of (Glastonbury's Nayag, Fairfield's McKinley) are two levels. I am not sure how they plan on constructing a second level on an existing school but it would have to be done while the school is vacant. Also most older schools were not designed to be two levels so it will take a lot of expense to add on a second level. I had heard of the plans to expand Chatfield and thought they sounded a bit strange. how big would it be when completed. To me it is better to have smaller schools but administrators like large schools to be more cost efficent. To me though that is not good planning. JMHO Jay

[ComingtoCT]

There are a few 2 story elem schools in the Bay area but for the most part they are one level due to earthquakes, fires and such. There was a similar problem in SV a few years ago where they wanted to build up instead of out. Parents hated this idea and it was scratched.

I know CT is less spread out but is it possible to build out? An Oxford local told me their elem school is underpopulated so why don't the two towns regionalize the elem schools?

[JayCT]

Towns in Connecticut have a strong sense of community. Many have been in existance for over 300 years and do not want to give up local rule. Seymour is trying to find a long-term solution to its school space shortage and sending kids to Oxford would not be long-term. Oxford is growing so fast, it is unlikely that their schools will be underpopulated for long (as a matter of fact, I question if that is true about Oxford schools). Anyway it is interesting to hear about CA schools. I never thought about it but it does make sense to have only one story schools. Thanks, Jay

[Lincolnian]

2 levels, 3 levels, or 4 levels is certainly better and greener than some of the mega school complexes working off of state formulas for funding. Why we need a building to take up huge amounts of horizontal space and land for a school but we don't for office buildings, apartments, etc. makes no sense.

They can have fire stairwells and locate the youngest students on the lowest floors for safety purposes.

Additionally, making buildings vertical requires less condemnation of property through eminent domain. It also requires less use of fertilizers, reduced maintenance requirements, more efficient heating, and conservation of resources to name just a few of the many benefits of a vertical school.

[uctalum01]

all 3 of Branford's elementary schools are more than one level. one is actually 3 levels. the other 2 were built at the same time and are identical 2 level buildings built around 1990 (might've been 91).

[glxyman21]

I know many towns that have 2 or 3 level school buildings, both old and new, so there is no law.

[ctcoldplay11]

Colchester's brand NEW elementary school is two levels, and is absolutely beautiful. There definitely is no law against this practice!

Here's a picture of the completed construction:

http://www.colchestertalks.com/image...20lo%20res.jpg