Original Research by School Decision on Center Elementary School
Center Elementary School closed in August 2023. It was the oldest school building in Connecticut and served middle grades in Brookfield, a suburban commuter town in Fairfield County about an hour north of New York City. No enrollment, academic performance, or student demographic data are available, as the school is no longer operational.
The closure was part of a major district reorganization approved by voters. Brookfield consolidated its two elementary buildings—Center and Huckleberry Hill—into a single new pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade facility called Candlewood Lake Elementary, which opened the same month. That consolidation also moved fifth graders out of Whisconier Middle School and into the new elementary building, fundamentally reshaping the grade configuration across the district. The new school was built at substantial cost as an environmentally themed facility.
Center's building now sits vacant. District officials were studying potential reuse options as of recent public discussion, though no concrete plan had been announced. For a family with historical interest in the school or questions about its closure, the Brookfield School District office would be the appropriate contact.
Brookfield itself is an affluent residential suburb built on single-family property taxes and commercial retail, with a growing multifamily presence. Housing values there are above the state median. The town has undergone visible redevelopment in recent years, particularly around its Four Corners commercial district, which has seen streetscape improvements, mixed-use apartments, and a new farmers market. Schools are dispersed across separate campuses rather than downtown.
The district has made other recent operational changes that affect families with school-age children. Brookfield High School shifted its start time later by roughly an hour, beginning in the 2023-24 school year, a change framed around adolescent sleep health. Property taxes have risen steadily through consecutive annual budget referendums, with the school portion of the budget accounting for a significant share of the increases.
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