THS 'Getting Better' Since Opening Day

Trumbull High School remains in the spotlight as renovations are scheduled to draw to a close by late December.

"I think every day things are getting better in the school. The complaints are getting less and less every single day," Al Barbarotta, owner's representative, told the Town Council recently.

The next steps are stripping and refinishing the floors and completing a "punchlist" of final details.

"All the elements to occupying the building are done," he said.

The school opened Aug. 27 after a big push to clean it up and test its alarm systems.

Some items still need fixing.

Channel 17/99, the local access channel showing taped government meetings, needs its studio connected.

And despite that all HVAC equipment is up and running and all boilers and controllers are installed, the building is still being heated and cooled unevenly, said Town Councilman Gregg Basbagill, a THS teacher.

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Barbarotta said there is enough electricity to run all the units adding that it's a control issue. The system still needs bugs worked out, he said.

Councilman Tony Scinto took issue with the school's roof.

"The school looks like a coal-burning plant," he said. "It looks like there shipping containers on top of the roof. It looks kind of awful, that's just my opinion."

Barbarotta replied he would look into fencing to improve the roof's appearance. He later blamed the school's design back in the 1970s for not allowing enough space to hide the units.

Meanwhile, the town is having problems collecting reimbursement for the renovation costs, Barbarotta said. The town has qualified for partial reimbursement for making the school "like new," a technical state term.

"I intend to personally call [state Education Department] Commissioner [Stefan] Pryor," said First Selectman Tim Herbst.

Still up in the air is the concession stand. The lowest bid is too high, and some Council members want a scaled down but serviceable new building to sell simple game fare like hotdogs, chips and soda, rather than a more expensive one with bathrooms.