Julian Curtiss School now has a new elevator, ADA ramps and a redesigned cafeteria after a multimillion-dollar renovation.

Greenwich officials and students cut a green ribbon Monday, Sept. 14, marking the completion of the first three phases of work at the East Elm Street elementary school, as Greenwich Free Press reported. The town's 2026-27 budget included $3.36 million for cafeteria and accessibility improvements at Julian Curtiss, which was built in 1946 and serves about 230 students in pre-K through fifth grade.

First Selectman Fred Camillo called it the town's fourth-oldest elementary public school.

The renovation added exterior ramps flanking the front staircase, renovated accessible bathrooms, a secure vestibule at the front entrance and a main office redesigned so visitors no longer walk through the building to check in. An elevator now connects the ground and second floors, and workers added accessible parking spaces.

The cafeteria saw the most visible changes. A wall enclosing the kitchen and service area was removed. Workers tore out a small stage at the far end to add seating and space for a mural, and acoustic panels were installed on the ceiling.

Building committee chair David Levine, whose wife and children attended Julian Curtiss, said the word of the day was "legacy." A plaque reading "Pay it Forward" was installed outside the front door in memory of William "Bill" Kelly, the original building committee chair, who died in 2024. Kelly's wife Barbara and daughters Kristen and Liz Zaccherio attended the ceremony.

"We pray that his memory and legacy will inspire future generations of JC students to also pay it forward with their work," Levine said.

Superintendent Dr. Toni Jones placed the project in broader context, saying Greenwich Public Schools (GPS) has more construction underway than at any point since the 1960s. She praised the volunteer building committees making that work possible.

Board of Education member Veronica Chiavaroli, who serves on the Julian Curtiss building committee, said the next round of work will bring updates to classrooms, a conference room, an accessible nurse's suite and a relocated principal's office. Jones indicated construction could begin next summer, though no official start date has been set.