Julian Curtiss School, the 80-year-old elementary school on East Elm Street, has one more round of construction ahead after the Representative Town Meeting approved $3.3 million for the project's final phase.

Phase 4 will bring ADA-compliant classroom upgrades, an accessible nurse's suite and a relocated assistant principal's office, Board of Education member Veronica Chiavaroli said at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, Sept. 14. Chiavaroli, who also serves on the Julian Curtiss Building Committee, said the final phase is expected to wrap up in 2027, according to Patch.

The RTM approved the funding in May as part of the town's $542 million budget, which included a $207 million Board of Education allocation. The school budget had originally proposed $3.36 million for the work, according to Greenwich Time.

The funding news came as the school celebrated a milestone. Students led guided tours through the building after the Sept. 14 ceremony marking the completion of Phases 1 through 3. As we reported that day, those earlier phases added accessible ramps at the main entrance, additional parking, a redesigned entryway and main office, a new elevator and a renovated cafeteria and kitchen.

"These improvements have modernized our school while making it ADA-compliant and preserving the history and character that make Julian Curtiss so special," Principal Eduardo Calderón said at the ceremony.

Superintendent Toni Jones said Greenwich Public Schools has more construction underway than at any point since the 1960s. Chiavaroli's involvement with the project began nearly four years ago through the ADA & Advocacy Advisory Committee for People With Disabilities.

Built in 1946, Julian Curtiss serves 236 students in Pre-K through grade 5. Educational specifications for the upgrades were developed in 2019, and the building committee formed in 2022. Construction began in early 2025.

The project carries a personal tribute. Bill Kelly, a longtime Greenwich resident and the building committee's first chair, died in 2024 at age 72. Rather than install the routine plaque recognizing committee members, the group placed a memorial near the front entrance bearing Kelly's life dates and the phrase "Pay it forward."

David Levine, who succeeded Kelly as building committee chair, said the committee hopes Kelly's legacy will inspire future Julian Curtiss students.

Phase 4 construction is targeted for completion in 2027.