18 High-Profile Focus: Schools and Institutions
September 2026
The Best School Projects Begin with Listening
By Christina Oneglia Rossi
Connecticut-based construction manager O & G has been partnering with school districts across Connecticut and Rhode Island for decades to create learning environments that serve students, educators, and communities for generations.
Experience has taught O & G that successful school construction depends on more than technical expertise. It begins by listening: to how a school operates, to the priorities of administrators and facilities teams, and to the needs of students and families. What teams learn in those early conversations shapes planning, safety, communication, and decision making throughout the project.
Having completed more than 350 school projects, O & G understands that no two school communities are alike. Each has its own culture, operational needs, and vision for success. During preconstruction, owners, architects, engineers, and O & G’ s team work together to align those needs with constructability, logistics, schedule, and budget while ideas are still evolving.
The goal is not simply to estimate cost. It is to ask better questions, evaluate alternatives, and provide owners with the information they need to make sound decisions before construction begins. As O & G preconstruction manager Dan Hetzler explains,“ When owners bring us in early, we bring that level of expertise at an important stage. It’ s just better for the project outcome.”
That shared understanding carries into the field. Project teams continue coordinating with administrators, facilities staff, designers, and trade partners as
work progresses. On occupied campuses, careful planning around school schedules, traffic, deliveries, and pedestrian routes helps maintain safe, organized, and predictable environments while educators remain focused on students.
O & G recently completed the renovation of ACES Bassett Road in
Members of O & G’ s ACES Bassett Road project team with Principal Ginny Tagliatela
O & G’ s field team at Barnum Elementary School in Cheshire works through project details on site.
North Haven, creating a modern learning environment for students with specialized educational needs.
“ From the very beginning, the team really wanted to get to know us,” says Principal Ginny Tagliatela.“ They wanted to make sure that we were a part of every decision and everything that was happening.” She adds that O & G’ s open communication and willingness to incorporate the school’ s input were central to the project’ s success.
Now welcoming students for the 2026-27 school year, Norton Elementary School in Cheshire reflects the same collaborative approach from planning through completion. Throughout the project, Principal Jodie Roden described the O & G team as thoughtful, responsive, and open to suggestions, helping the school community feel informed, involved, and comfortable every step of the way. Through the yearlong O & G Builds program, students connected classroom learning to construction through hands-on experiences alongside the project team and skilled tradespeople.
The best school projects happen when owners, educators, designers, builders, and trade partners work toward a shared goal. Listening starts the process. Planning gives the vision direction. Collaboration carries it through construction.
The finished building is only part of the story. The experience of getting there is what people remember.
Christina Oneglia Rossi is executive vice president of business development for the Building Group at O & G Industries.
Norton Elementary School students get hands-on experience with masonry during an O & G Builds session. www. buildinges. com
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