Historic Day For Farmington School System

Town of Farmington

FARMINGTON, CT — After years of planning and a difficult approval process amid the pandemic, Farmington put those difficulties aside Monday and officially opened a new high school.

And despite stormy weather outside, the demeanor inside the new, state-of-the-art Farmington High School was anything but.

A veritable who's who of Farmington officials and area dignitaries showed up for one of the biggest moments in town history.

On Monday night, the doors to the new FHS were opened to the public for the first time, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house.

Then, on Tuesday, Aug. 27, Farmington High School students officially began the 2024-25 school year in their new building.

Speakers Monday night included U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-5th District; and Connecticut Department of Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker.

Also on hand was Farmington's state legislative delegation, which included state Sen. Derek Slap, D-West Hartford; state Rep. Mike Demicco, D-Farmington; and state Rep. Francis Cooley, R-Plainville.

Local officials included Farmington Town Council Chairman Joe Capodiferro, Farmington Board of Education Chairman Bill Beckert, and Farmington High School Building Committee Chairperson Meghan Guerrera.

The evening's speakers concluded with representation from the Farmington High School and Farmington Public Schools, including Farmington Superintendent of Schools Kathleen Greider, Farmington's 2024-2025 Teacher of the Year Tim Barron, Farmington High School Principal Russ Crist, and student speaker Sreenidi Bala.

Monday's historic event marked the end of a long journey, one planned late last decade and approved while the town, like the rest of the state/country, were in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In June 2021, voters said "yes" to spending $135.6 million for a new Farmington High School building.

But the dollar amount proved to be too low, a byproduct of pandemic-related inflation and supply chain issues.

So, on Dec. 8, 2022, voters easily approved a $9.7 million supplemental appropriation for the new Farmington High School project, the second time in as many years the town went to the polls.

With the high school done, the next major project is to transform the old, 1922 section of the old Farmington High School into a larger, brand-new Farmington Town Hall.

Before that can happen, much of the old FHS must be demolished.

For more information about the Farmington High School Project's progress and timeline, visit https://fhsbuildingproject.org...

From Aug. 21: 'Monday A Huge Day In Farmington HS History'