June 2, 2017 – Shiny shovels cut into the dirt in a field across the street from Stratford High School on a warm Friday morning. And with that, a project more than a decade in the making is ready to begin.
Stratford High students, teachers and town officials gathered on Friday morning to break ground on the SHS renovation project.
Work on the $125.9 million project, which will add a new wing to the existing school as well as renovate the existing 1925 building, will truly start on Monday as big construction equipment moves earth to clear the way for the addition.
SHS Principal John Dellapiano said officials have waited nearly 10 years for the renovation to start.
“It’s well deserved for the students and for the staff of Stratford High School. We’re really looking forward to it,” said Dellapiano.
Dellapiano said the ceremony signifies the 10 years they’ve worked on the renovation project.
“The fact what we’re in 2017 and we have a building that is wood framed….it’s a project that is long overdue and it’s going to be four years of excitement for the staff and the kids,” Dellapiano said. “Ultimately, we’re going to have a state-of-the-art facility [that’s] going to rival any high school in the state of Connecticut.”
The entire renovation is expected to run for about 3.5 years, Dellapiano said. In addition to the new wing and renovation, the new high school will have a newer and larger auditorium and an on-campus practice field. A second story bridge over King Street will connect both ends of the new Stratford High School.
This article was featured in the Stratford Star.