PHOTO — West Haven Mayor Dorinda Borer, second from right, cheers as Board of Education Chairwoman Cebi Burns Waterfield, holding scissors, and Superintendent of Schools Neil C. Cavallaro, third from right, cut the ribbon to celebrate the official opening of West Haven’s new $44.28 million, 61,770-square-foot Washington Elementary School at 369 Washington Ave. on Tuesday, Aug. 19. With them are, from left, school board member Rosa Richardson, Washington Principal Alicia Limosani, school board Vice Chairman Patrick Egolum, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and West Haven Building Committee Chairman Ken Carney. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
WEST HAVEN, Aug. 20, 2025 — With hundreds of students, parents and teachers witnessing history in the making, Board of Education Chairwoman Cebi Waterfield, Superintendent of Schools Neil C. Cavallaro and Mayor Dorinda Borer led city and state leaders in a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the official opening of West Haven’s new $44.28 million, 61,770-square-foot Washington Elementary School on Tuesday, Aug. 19.
The late-afternoon ceremony, dubbed “A New Beginning,” took place outside the school’s side entrance at 369 Washington Ave. before moving inside the gymnasium for the speaking portion to mark “the next great chapter in West Haven Public Schools.”
To commemorate the momentous occasion, Borer, Cavallaro and Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz delivered remarks congratulating and praising Washington Elementary School, which has proudly served the neighborhood and honored the nation’s first president, George Washington, since 1909.
“Thanks to its rebirth today as a new state-of-the-art facility, this spirited school will continue to provide a rich tradition of academic excellence for our students who deserve that opportunity,” the mayor told the assembled crowd.
Cavallaro said the school was built on the site of the former school and will provide a state-of-the-art learning environment for a diverse community of students in prekindergarten through fourth grade.
“Mayor Dorinda Borer has been a strong advocate for this project since her days with the state Legislature,” said the superintendent, who served as the master of ceremonies. “She assisted with the necessary approvals and, more importantly, secured the most funding that we were allowed by law. She did a wonderful job. As mayor, her commitment has never wavered.”
In 2021, Washington, the city’s oldest elementary school at the time, was named on the state’s priority list for a new school.
Two years later, Borer, then a West Haven state representative, secured the state bond funding to push the school building project across the finish line.
“I am very grateful to Neil Cavallaro, who has been a strong champion for this school district and always advocating for funding, resources and leading a great team,” Borer said. “He stressed the need for this project to happen for our students to be on time and within budget — and it was.”
West Haven Building Committee Chairman Ken Carney said the $45.48 million project was completed $1.2 million under budget.
“This achievement reflects not only the careful planning of the Building Committee but also the strong partnership between city leaders, the Board of Education and the state,” Carney said.
Borer thanked the committee for shepherding the project from conception to completion, “always keeping in mind the needs of our students.”
Borer also thanked former Mayor Nancy R. Rossi, who was in attendance, for initiating the school building project and working with her to get it off the ground.
Other attendees included state Rep. Bill Heffernan, D-West Haven, and Board of Education and City Council members.
Cavallaro said students will “reach for the stars” inside the dynamic new building, which is equipped with energy-efficient systems and modern technology, including school security tools and resources, to help West Haven’s children thrive.
“You are standing in one of the most modern, smart schools in the state of Connecticut,” Borer said. “This very room you’re standing in, the gym, will actually detect the body heat in the number of bodies in the room when the children are playing and pump the air based on that.”
“We’re very proud to have (this school) here in the city West Haven,” said the mayor, giving a shoutout to the “winning team” of Principal Alicia Limosani and her faculty and staff.
The hourlong ceremony also featured remarks by Waterfield and Limosani.
“Washington Elementary School has stood as a cornerstone of this community for generations,” Waterfield said. “The values, spirit and sense of central community that have defined this school for over a century will continue to live on.”
Limosani said: “Our students will have the best in all areas to learn and grow socially and emotionally. I am most excited to see my students’ faces light up when they see their new school and to see my teachers take their teaching to another level with the technology they now have. This will be a warm, loving and supportive place where all students can and will learn.”
The ceremony included the Pledge of Allegiance led by Washington fourth grader Ryan Remigio and “The Star-Spangled Banner” performed by the West Haven High School Band. It also included musical selections by the band.
The pomp and circumstance followed with a tour of the new two-story school.
Carney said the new school, with 26 classrooms serving an estimated 436 students, is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, complete with an elevator, cameras and energy-efficient lavatories.
Other features include air conditioning, energy-saving fixtures and wireless internet. They are complemented by a state-of-the-art playground, media center and kitchen.
Carney said the school was built by Gilbane Building Co. of Glastonbury and took 18 months to complete.
The school was designed by Bridgeport-based Antinozzi Associates, which he said went to great pains to ensure the new building reflects the architecture and spirit of the surrounding neighborhood, even incorporating a sloping roof to maintain the neighborhood’s aesthetic.
— MICHAEL P. WALSH, Public Relations Information Coordinator
West Haven Mayor Dorinda Borer, second from right, cheers as Board of Education Chairwoman Cebi Burns Waterfield, holding scissors, and Superintendent of Schools Neil C. Cavallaro, third from right, cut the ribbon to celebrate the official opening of West Haven’s new $44.28 million, 61,770-square-foot Washington Elementary School at 369 Washington Ave. on Tuesday, Aug. 19. With them are, from left, school board member Rosa Richardson, Washington Principal Alicia Limosani, school board Vice Chairman Patrick Egolum, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and West Haven Building Committee Chairman Ken Carney. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
Principal Alicia Limosani speaks to the capacity crowd in the gymnasium of the new Washington Elementary School on Tuesday, Aug. 19. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)
