By Gretchen Webster

WESTPORT — Two major Staples High School renovation projects were scrutinized by the Board of Finance last week, and one — upgrading auditorium stage equipment — drew support from students and parents who turned out to lobby the board in person. 

The other Staples project discussed by the board was replacement of the fieldhouse floor.

A vote was not taken on either project, pending board members’ tour of both the auditorium and the field house, which will be scheduled in the next few weeks.

Renovation of the auditorium is not only an issue of quality, but also of safety, Supt. of Schools Thomas Scarice told the finance board. In addition to upgrading the stage lighting and rigging, the gear should be replaced to protect the safety of students, he said. 

The Board of Education hired Supertech, a Connecticut firm, to provide an initial evaluation of stage lighting and rigging, according to Elio Longo, chief financial officer for the school district. The Representative Town Meeting and Board of Finance had approved an $85,000 study, with an additional $430,000 for actual construction. 

The school board then hired Theater Design Inc., a company experienced in theater equipment for a full evaluation, Longo said. The scope of the work expanded to include general lighting for the full auditorium, raising the total cost to approximately $1.6 million.

A $1.1 million request for additional money for the project — part of a $4.4 million 2024-25 capital projects list — was endorsed Oct. 10 by the Board of Education.

“The auditorium is a community center, not just for our students and staff,” Longo said. The renovation should also include the auditorium’s sound system, he added.

Finance board member Rich Hightower, suggested that the town fund the bigger projects and then private fundraising could pay for “the nice to haves.”

That plan was nixed by several who spoke in favor of a full renovation of the auditorium by town funding, including Suzan Jo, co-president of the Staples Music Parents Association. 

“The quality of the school is a big driver for property values,” she said, and the auditorium is used by many community organizations in addition to the school’s music programs. She said it is not unusual for the mechanical systems in the auditorium, including lighting and sound systems, to fail.

“We need a school where basic systems function,” she said. “It’s not a ‘nice to have,’ it is a ‘have to have.’ ”

Staples senior Rosie Kauppinen said that the Staples Players student acting troupe “each year raises between $20,000 to $35,000 — all allocated to fixing light bulbs and outdated equipment rather than advancing our program,” she said. “The auditorium truly is a public community space and should be renovated.”

David Roth, a theater teacher who directs Staples Players productions and an alumnus of Staples himself, said the auditorium was last renovated in 1996 after a serious accident when a student fell from the rigging.

The lighting no longer works and can no longer be fixed simply by replacing bulbs, he said. 

“Literally we can’t do it any more. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to perform” unless the auditorium is upgraded, he said.

Fieldhouse floor replacement

The Staples fieldhouse floor, about 30 years old, is also in need of replacement, Longo said. 

An estimated $1.5 million cost for the project is included in the school district’s capital spending list.

The RTM and Board of Finance have already approved $120,00 for the evaluation and design of the replacement floor and bids for the project are due in January, he said.

“We are looking to fast-track the process,” with the floor reconstruction beginning when school closes in June 2025 and the construction finishing by November of next year, Longo said.

Freelance writer Gretchen Webster, a Fairfield County journalist for many years, was editor of the Fairfield Minuteman and has taught journalism at New York and Southern Connecticut State universities.