Hamden Middle School

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Hamden Middle School is a two-year middle school for grades 7 and 8, located in Hamden, Connecticut. It was the 1998-99 Connecticut School of the Year.

[edit] Soil Contamination at Former Site

In January of 2001, the school remained closed for nearly two weeks after the end of the winter vacation when the DEP found high concentrations of lead, carcinogens and other toxins in the soil surrounding the building, as well as at the sports field across the street. It was soon revealed that the building had been constructed on the site of a previous toxic waste disposal ground in the 1950s. This was followed by claims that the school had seen un unusually high rate of death among faculty members in their 50s due to cancer.

Crews took action to make the building as safe an environment as possible as classes commenced. However, residents' voiced concern led to plans for the construction of a new building on a Dixwell Avenue site. The project began in September of 2004 and the new Hamden Middle School was completed in time for the start of the 2006 schoolyear.