Portable Classrooms for Overbrook On Hold

Update at 12 p.m. on Thursday

A short time ago East Haven Patch placed another call to Superintendent of Schools Anthony Serio regarding the at .

The call was quickly returned by Janice Ball, the executive assistant to the superintendent, who told East Haven Patch that the superintendent was waiting for a "legal opinion from the town" that relates to the proposed project.

And, until that opinion was handed down to the school administration, the superintendent would be unable to comment on the status of the Overbrook School portable project.

According to the School Building Committee's Dec. 6 special meeting minutes (which are posted in the gallery that accompanie this article), Serio was at that point seeking a legal opinion from Town Hall as to whether or not East Haven is bound by the contract they entered into with Town of Newtown for the eight used portable classrooms.

But with the superintendent unable to comment at this time on the project's status, it is unclear if that is indeed the legal opinion he is awaiting to receive from the town.

The School Building Committee's is Feb. 21, at Town Hall, beginning at 7 p.m.

Update at 3:25 p.m.

Earlier this afternoon East Haven Patch placed a call to Superintendent of Schools Anthony Serio to find out more information about the status of the portable classroom project. He was in a meeting at that time, and did not immediately return the call.

Also the minutes for the Jan. 17 School Building Committee have been posted to the gallery.

East Haven Patch will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.

Original Story (5:45 a.m. on Wednesday)

It appears that the town has pulled the plug on plans to add eight portable classrooms for all-day kindergarten classes to .

Last May, the and School Building Committee the eight used classroom structures from the town of rather than buy four new ones.

Democrats on the Town Council that June over the objection of Republicans.

School officials had hoped to have the portable classrooms onsite and in use by the end of this past December.

Newtown Says Deal Cancelled

But now that they are in search of new buyers after the deal to sell the classrooms to East Haven has fallen through.

A contract to sell the portables for $200,000 was inked but contingent on the sale receiving all of the necessary local East Haven approvals, Newtown First Selectman told Patch.

Then, when East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr was he quashed the sale, according to

The project was projected to cost some $899,000. But last fall town officials said they expected the state to reimburse the bulk of the cost, leaving the town’s share at about $270,000.

School Building Committee

As of last month's School Building Committee meeting, members were unsure of the status of the portable classroom project, according to the Jan. 17 meeting minutes (which are posted in the gallery that accompanies this article).

At that meeting committee members approved sending a letter to East Haven Superintendent of Schools Anthony Serio asking the administrator if the portable classroom project was still going forward.

—Additional reporting by Newtown Patch editor