$150m of building contracts locked in for the new schools

What happened

The School Building Committee recommended approving guaranteed maximum prices, the ceiling a builder agrees not to exceed, of $135,821,840 for the new middle-high school and $14,965,985 for converting the current high school into an elementary school. Total money available for the programme is $194,184,308: a $190 million bond approved by voters, a $484,308 town appropriation for a generator and hurricane-rated gymnasium glass, and $3.7 million of interest earned on the bond. That leaves a $629,008 surplus earmarked for the Forest Avenue school. The committee was told tariffs are the one cost the guaranteed price does not cover.

Why it matters to families

This is the biggest thing Middletown has ever built for its children, and these are the numbers that decide whether the $190 million voters approved will actually cover it. Tariffs are the named risk that could push it over.

The evidence

The November 12, 2025 School Building Committee minutes record both guaranteed maximum price motions and their unanimous votes, the exact base values and accepted alternates, the $194,184,308 funding total broken into the $190 million bond, the $484,308 general fund appropriation and $3.7 million of bond interest, the $20,182,100 and $173,373,200 project budgets, the $629,008 surplus for Forest Avenue, and the statement that tariffs are the only item not included in the guaranteed maximum price.

The source