East Lyme — Schools' Superintendent Jeffrey Newton proposed a new plan for the town's aging elementary schools that would renovate the Lillie B. Haynes School, close the Niantic Center School, and postpone rebuilding the Flanders Elementary School for several years.

This recommendation would abandon an earlier school board proposal to simultaneously renovate Niantic Center and build a new school on the Flanders site, while closing Lillie B. Haynes and returning the building to the town.

In presenting a revised plan to the Board of Education on Monday, Newton said it would be too expensive to renovate or rebuild two school buildings at the same time.

The previous Niantic-Flanders plan would have cost the town an estimated $58 million, while renovations to Lillie B. Haynes under the new plan would cost an estimated $34 million, according to the presentation.

Board members shared a variety of perspectives on the proposal, with some saying the original project should go to a referendum vote, and others grappling with the best way to move forward.

Ultimately, they said it is essential to meet with the Board of Finance and Board of Selectmen to discuss the project and work together.

During the presentation on Monday, Newton said that in addition to the cost factor for the Niantic-Flanders proposal, the roughly 101,000-square-foot, Lillie B. Haynes School was found to be too large and unsuitable for town office use. He also said the town has informed him that the Lillie B. Haynes property can't be sold, but needs to be used either for the town or Board of Education.

He said Niantic Center School would be more suitable for the town's use, or the property could be sold or leased.

His revised plan proposes to defer new construction at Flanders Elementary for five to seven years, but would allow for upgrades at the building. Deferring the Flanders work would not only reduce the initial cost of the project, but also allow the district to monitor school enrollment to determine its impact on the project.

School officials said they will also need to work out logistics for the project, but the projected timeline would be to begin construction during the 2017-18 school year.

The previous plan to renovate Niantic Center and rebuild Flanders would cost $58,713,124, doubling the town's current debt. It would raise the tax rate by nearly 2 mills, meaning that a homeowner with a property assessed at $250,000 would pay an extra $482 in taxes per year. The town would bond the project over 20 years.

The $34,251,485 renovations to Lillie B. Haynes would raise the tax rate by 1.1 mills, meaning that a homeowner with a property assessed at $250,000 would pay an extra $281 in taxes each year.

The school board has been discussing how to address the town's aging elementary schools for several years, and a 2011 feasibility study found the three buildings require significant repairs.

In December of 2014, the Board of Education endorsed the concept to renovate Niantic Center School, build a new Flanders Elementary School and close the Lillie B. Haynes School. The board's Elementary Design Steering Committee then worked to develop plans for the buildings with an architect.

But school officials said last December they would need to revisit the proposal, after the impact on the tax rate was higher than expected.

"It's where we put the brakes on and started working with the town on our project's next steps," said Newton.

During discussions, board member Jaime Barr Shelburn said the new proposal raises unanswered questions about costs, traffic, parking and other items.

Board member Eric Bauman pointed out that Newton was given the direction to come up with a new plan, given that the $58 million project was found to be too expensive. He stressed the need for everyone to come together to discuss how to move forward.

Newton noted that LEARN, which has a wing in the Lillie B. Haynes school, was recently interested in renting 80,000 square feet from the district. While that proposal fell though, LEARN may still be interested in 30,000 to 40,000 square feet, said Newton.

Board members discussed the possibility of working with town boards to try to find additional revenue to fund the original $58 million proposal.

"Let's all sit down and put our heads together and figure out how we can get enough revenue out of Lillie B. Haynes to be able to afford this plan," board member Barbara Senges suggested.

k.drelich@theday.com