SWAMPSCOTT — Town Meeting members unanimously approved a $750,000 feasibility study for a new consolidated elementary school on Monday night, which would replace the town’s three neighborhood elementary schools.
The approval allows school officials to move forward with plans for a new K-5 elementary school four years after a consolidated elementary school was rejected by the town.
The school district was accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) in December for replacement of Hadley Elementary School, which was built in 1911 and is the oldest school building in town.
Superintendent Pamela Angelakis later submitted statements of interest for replacement of the town’s other elementary schools, Clarke and Stanley, which were built in 1952 and 1929 respectively.
Site determination for the new school would come as part of the study. Once the study is completed, architects would be hired to design the building and Town Meeting would have to approve funding for the school. Officials plan to ask for that funding in either the fall of 2019 or spring of 2020. A ballot vote would also be needed.
Officials said some of the work from a $500,000 feasibility study approved by Town Meeting several years ago could be used for the current school process. That study was for a district-wide elementary school that was ultimately defeated in 2014.
Cinder McNerney, a member of the finance committee, said the town was very fortunate to get a second chance with the MSBA program and this is the only opportunity it has to qualify for a significant amount of funding from the MSBA.
“We all agree this is the best and most prudent way to fund an educational facility that is long overdue in this community,” said Patrick Jones, vice-chair of the Board of Selectmen.
School officials are planning for a K-5 consolidated elementary school, but Jones said it’s not clear yet whether the process will result in (replacing) one school, two schools or a consolidated school.
Elizabeth Pappalardo, a Town Meeting member, said she supports the $750,000 for the feasibility study because it is a component required by the MSBA. But she said work needs to be done to get the town behind the project for a new school to avoid another failed vote.
“I think we should all support the $750,000 (study) and then work hard to engage the town for a project we can all be excited about,” she said.
Town Meeting members also unanimously approved a $67.13 million FY19 town budget, which is a .85 percent increase over last year’s budget and includes a $29.38 million appropriation to the public schools.
Town Meeting will reconvene Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Swampscott High School.
