The move from the current Morgan School to the new high school, approximately half a mile north on Killingworth Turnpike, has officially begun.

Books, instructional materials, and other classroom resources have been making their way from teachers’ old classrooms to their assigned rooms at the new building. The first phase of the move also includes athletic equipment and kitchen and cafeteria supplies.

The transition, which is being handled by New Britain-based Siracusa Moving (the lowest bidder, at under $75,000), got underway the last week of June, after a room-by-room punch list and FIP Construction cleaning schedule were finalized. (FIP is the project manager for the new construction.)

Administrative, guidance, and nurses’ offices and technology will migrate over to the new campus at the end of July, along with trophies and related artifacts.

“Packing is happening throughout the summer,” said Maryann O’Donnell, the district’s new superintendent of schools. “Once the technology is up in the new building, the offices will be moved over.”

Usable furniture and equipment that is not needed at The Morgan School will be placed in storage or redistributed to other schools in the district, O’Donnell said.

The third and final phase of the move is scheduled for September and will entail clearing out all district materials that remain in the old building to allow for turnover of the building to the town.

Plans are to develop the current 38-acre Morgan School campus into mix of retail and residential space, with a hotel and restaurants. Mill Pond Clinton, LLC, the developer for the project, hopes to break ground on the The Village at Mill Pond sometime late in 2016. Construction is anticipated to take anywhere from two to three years.