Task Force to Talk Future of Sandy Hook School Building

Public decisions about the future of the Sandy Hook Elementary School building are on the horizon, according to First Selectman Pat Llodra.

A 28-member task force made up of members of four Newtown board will meet in April and May to deliberate on the matter. They will review a set of options assembled by a team of construction specialists, engineers, architects and land use agents assembled by Newtown Land Use director George Benson.

The task force hopes to make a recommendation to the Board of Education by mid-May, said a release from GE Capital from Pat Llodra. Before then, public task force meetings will take place "4 or 5 times" between early April and mid-May. Rich Harwood of the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation will moderate the discussion.

"I received a great deal of information on guiding principles from many conversations with various constituent groups and recently asked several additional groups to provide their feedback on the guiding principles," said Llodra. "I reached out to parents of the victims, parents of the survivors, Sandy Hook School faculty and staff, and Sandy Hook School parents."

Since the Dec. 14 shooting, town leaders have engaged residents and specialists in an ongoing conversation about the fate of the building. In January, the town hosted a series of public town hall meetings to solicit opinions from the community. Officials say they also met privately with Sandy Hook Elementary staff and family.

Task Force Members:

• Board of Selectmen
• Board of Education
• Board of Finance
• Legislative Council

Sandy Hook School Analysts:

• James W. Fielding and John Mancini, BL Companies
• Todd Perry, Cherry Hill Construction
• Phil Clark, Claris Construction
• Michael Galante, Frederick P. Clark Associates
• Chris Smith, Turner Surety & Insurance Brokerage
• Michael DiNallo, Kevin King and Susan Scholler, Turner Construction Company