This summer, the Board of Education unveiled a proposal to spend $328 million on constructing a new North School elementary school and extensive renovations of the three existing elementary schools and Saxe Middle School. This figure does not include the interest on the bonds that would be required to finance the project.
To put this in perspective, New Canaan’s entire town budget for the 2025–2026 fiscal year is $181 million, and total town debt as of this summer was $132 million. There is simply no way these projects could proceed without significant tax increases for New Canaan residents.
The BOE justified its proposal using multi-year demographic projections that in the past have overestimated student enrollment. Back in 2015, when the much smaller $18 million Saxe expansion was planned, there were 1,329 middle school students. Projections at the time forecast growth—but enrollment instead declined. Last year, middle school enrollment had fallen to 1,273.
The North School plan far exceeds the earlier Saxe project and risks leaving the town burdened with debt, higher taxes, and empty classrooms. Among the candidates running for office, Kim Norton stands out as the only one who is against committing hundreds of millions in spending to this project. Other candidates have avoided taking a clear position.
On Election Day, join me in voting for Kim Norton—a voice of fiscal responsibility and common sense for New Canaan’s future.
Daniel LaGattuta
