There’s No Place Like Holmes

Holmes Elementary celebrates a new chapter with ribbon cutting and dedication of its transformed Stanley Street campus

After two years away from home, the Holmes Elementary School community officially celebrated a new beginning on September 30 with a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony marking the completion of the school’s approximately $70 million renovation-as-new project. Students, staff, families, and community members joined state, city, and district leaders to celebrate a transformation that reimagined nearly every aspect of the Holmes learning environment.

The project expanded Holmes from approximately 86,000 square feet to approximately 110,000 square feet, including a 36,870-square-foot addition. Approximately 95 percent of eligible project costs were supported through state school construction funding.

“This ribbon cutting represents an incredibly special moment for the entire Holmes community,” said Superintendent Dr. Tony Gasper. “For two years, our students, families, and staff embraced a temporary home while this vision became a reality. Today, we celebrate not simply a renovated building, but an investment in what our students deserve: exceptional spaces where they can learn, collaborate, create and thrive.”

And there was plenty for the Holmes Dragons to celebrate. The transformed school features 24 general classrooms, dedicated STEAM classrooms, special education spaces, new art and music areas, a modern media center, renovated auditorium and cafeteria, a school-based health clinic and flexible spaces designed to encourage students to work and learn together. An enclosed outdoor courtyard, equipped with Wi-Fi and audiovisual technology, extends learning beyond the classroom. Outside, students have access to two playgrounds designed for different age groups, accessible playground equipment, basketball courts, and playing fields. The entire building is also now air-conditioned.

Safety, accessibility, and arrival and dismissal were major considerations in the new design. The campus includes controlled building access, a secure visitor vestibule, an extensive security camera network, gated and fenced outdoor areas, and an ADA-compliant playground. Separate traffic patterns for buses and parent drop-off and pick-up also help reduce congestion while creating a safer arrival and dismissal experience. But the September 30 celebration wasn't only about the building. Holmes students were at the heart of the ceremony.

Greyson Baskerville, Jayden Reynolds and Jeremiah Edwards led guests in the Pledge of Allegiance before the fifth-grade chorus performed an especially fitting selection: “There’s No Place Like Holmes.” Later, Alyvia Glowicki, Mark Savitskyy, Isabella Roberts and Liv Conaway shared a reading of “Stanley the Dragon Earns His Wings,” followed by a special wings presentation honoring former Holmes Principal Heather Nicol, whose leadership helped guide the Holmes community throughout the renovation process. From the school’s temporary relocation through the planning and construction of the transformed campus, Nicol played an integral role in helping bring the project to fruition. The new Holmes would not have been possible without her years of leadership, advocacy, and commitment to the students, staff, and families of the Holmes community. 

Principal Michele Kushman welcomed the Holmes community, while Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz, Mayor Bobby Sanchez, Connecticut Department of Administrative Services Commissioner Michelle Halloran Gilman, School Building Committee Chair Angelo D’Alfonso, Board of Education Secretary Aimee Pozorski and Dr. Gasper offered remarks commemorating the milestone.

“With this newly renovated building, we are making a critical investment to ensure that our state’s most precious resources, our students, can learn, grow, and thrive,” said Lt. Governor Bysiewicz. “Thank you to the local and state partners that have made this vision reality.”

Construction began in 2024, with Holmes students and staff relocating to the former Pope John Paul II School on Farmington Avenue while the extensive work took place. The project was designed by Kaestle Boos Associates and constructed by Newfield Construction. Now, after two years of construction, Holmes students and staff aren't simply returning to a renovated school. They are beginning a new chapter in a building designed around how students learn today, with greater opportunities for collaboration, creativity, wellness, and connection. For generations of Dragons to come, there really is no place like Holmes.