NewCanaanite.com (https://newcanaanite.com/author/new-canaan-board-of-education)
Our schools are at risk of having services reduced by a Board of Finance proposed budget cut of $2 million-plus. Many of you have moved to New Canaan just in the past five years. Others have enjoyed many years in this wonderful town. Town surveys have repeatedly told us that the vast majority of you have moved here because of our public schools (71% listed the schools as reason #1). This isn’t surprising.
The Board of Education has been closely following the Saxe Building Committee’s (SBC) work throughout their process of analyzing the educational space needs at Saxe, recommending changes to meet those needs and designing the improvements deemed critical. The Board of Education fully supports the SBC’s recommended project to renovate the Saxe Auditorium and visual performing arts/music area and to expand the current building to add a net of 12 new classrooms.
Why Saxe Needs More Space
Built in 1957, Saxe Middle School was last renovated from 1997 to 1999 to accommodate 1200 students. Since this time (15-plus years), Saxe’s enrollment has increased. Current enrollment is at 1,327 students, up from the 1,292 students enrolled at this time last year. The latest projections anticipate that enrollment at Saxe will steadily increase over the next few years, peaking in 2024 at 1,376 students, and remaining stable at around 1,350 afterwards.