SHS AT 35: TIMELINE
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So when we left off in September 1970 (see our June 16 posting), voters had just shot down plans to construct an $11.8 million "super high school." The plan was scaled back significantly, reworked and presented again to voters in a referendum on April 27, 1971. The high school construction appeared alongside plans for an addition to Town Hall and charter revision questions on the ballot. Here's how The New Britain Herald covered it the next afternoon:

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The 1,500-pupil high school, Town Hall addition and the charter revisions were all approved in yesterday's referendum. The $600,000 [high school] auditorium listed as an alternate was defeated, which means the auditorium will be put on the new school as an addition later.

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The high school, estimated at $8 million, won by a substantial margin, with 1,718 voting for it and 1,061 voting against it. Last September in another referendum, voters turned down a proposed 2,400-pupil, $12 million high school 4 to 1 with over 5,000 persons casting votes.

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Dr. Joseph Robitaille, superintendent of schools, said last night he was very pleased with the outcome. He said detailed building plans should be ready for bid in four to six months. If all goes well, the school should be ready for occupancy by early 1974.

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The auditorium was defeated with 1,061 voting for it and 1,633 voting against it. Very little state aid would be paid for the auditorium if constructed with the school, according to the present state aid formula. If the auditorium is constructed as an addition, under the present law, it will be eligible for up to 50 percent reimbursement from the state. For this reason school officials and the school building committee listed the auditorium as an alternate.

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The school board was off and running and by the end of the year plans for the Pleasant Street high school were starting to become reality. A contractor was chosen and sketches of what the building would like look were released in October. As plans progressed it looked like the Class of 1974 would be the first to graduate from the new high school. But this is Southington so things were to change...we'll see what happens next time.