Swampscott to repair Hadley School chimney

SWAMPSCOTT – Repairs are expected to be made to the chimney at Hadley Elementary School in the near future.Superintendent Matthew Malone said repairing the slightly leaning chimney is a top priority.”Safety is our number one concern,” he said. “I don’t want bricks falling down on kids’ heads. We’re also concerned about winter ice dams in that area causing leaks that could result in ceiling panels falling.”Malone pointed out Hadley, built in 1911, is the oldest school in the district.”We want to get the work done before winter sets in,” he said. “Some people are asking why repair it when the Master Plan is not finalized and there is a chance Hadley could be taken out of service at some point in the future. My answer to that is there are kids and staff in that building.”Malone said he expects the repairs to the chimney to cost approximately $65,000.”We have some money in the capital improvement budget for roofing and brick repointing,” he said. “We will pay for the repairs out of that.”Town Administrator Andrew Maylor said the town is committed to working with the School Department to evaluate the chimney as to structural integrity and help them secure funding for necessary repairs.