Panel votes to raze site of Newtown school shooting
Board of education must now decide whether to replace school where 26 died
Faced with what one official called a "gut-wrenching" decision, a task force has voted to tear down the site of the Sandy Hook school shooting and build a new school in its place.
The committee of 28 officials in Newtown, Connecticut, unanimously recommended the plan after weeks of discussion. Other options included renovating the current Sandy Hook Elementary School or building a new one in a different location.
The decision to rebuild on the property is a symbolic step for the community, which lost 20 children and six educators in a December shooting rampage. Since the massacre, the 430 surviving students have attended school at in a neighbouring town.
Laura Roche, a member of the Sandy Hook School Task Force and vice-chairwoman of the Newtown School Board, said that the process of deciding what to do has been "very emotional and very hard". She noted the unanimous decision.
"We came together as 28, and I hope we can come together as a community to rebuild the spirit of our community and build the school together," she said.
The US$57 million proposed project will now go to the Newtown Board of Education for approval. The residents of Newtown must also approve the plan through a referendum.