SWAMPSCOTT — The Northshore Education Consortium (NEC) counts Swampscott residents among its students and a town firm stepped up to help the school recover from a flood.
McCurdy Electrical Service, which has a Walnut Road office and a Lynn location, teamed up with other North Shore companies to assist Beverly-based in NEC with renovation work following a Sept. 30 rooftop water tank malfunction.
The flooding occurred two weeks after NEC’s 476 students returned to the school for in-person learning. Water damage was so extensive that school administrators were forced to return students attending the Kevin O’Grady School serving students with significant developmental disabilities, and the Recovery High School serving high school students committed to recovery, to remote learning. This was heartbreaking for staff and students alike.
Students returned to school this week, thanks to work by McCurdy electricians and other tradespeople.
“Servpro of Beverly was on site within hours of the flood, and for the past three months, has expertly handled the immediate flood mitigation and clean-up, also serving as our general contractor. Gary Tuttle and Tony Lagrassa truly became our allies in getting the work done as fast as possible, even with COVID restrictions,” said Fran Rosenberg, NEC executive director, adding: “They understood the urgency for our students and consistently went above and beyond.”
Other local firms playing an important role in getting students back into the classroom were National Abatement and J.L LeClerc Jr. Plumbing & Heating of Peabody and Sherwood Painting Services of Marblehead.
While repairs were taking place NEC students continued instruction in temporary leased space at the Cummings Center.
“Steve Drohosky, Michelle Paul and Ryan McRae helped to expedite getting the space ready for us with a very rapid turnaround. It was a pleasure to work with them,” said Rosenberg.
Rosenberg said Kevin O’Grady and Recovery High School faculty quickly and expertly adapted to the need to pack up classrooms, change locations, and provide remote learning without missing a beat.
The business office team, located in a separate area of the damaged building, kept operations running even while working in the middle of a construction zone, and staff in other programs demonstrated flexibility, support, and willingness to share their classrooms.
“My deepest gratitude and respect goes to our NEC students and families for trusting us with their children and remaining supportive and positive despite the many challenges of this most difficult year,” said Rosenberg. “I feel blessed every day to be part of such an amazing community.”
NEC’s enrollment through this year includes students from 21 member and 34 non-member school districts, including Lynn, Lynnfield, Marblehead, Nahant, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott.
Founded in 1975, the Northshore Education Consortium (NEC) is the largest provider of intensive special education services to children and youth with emotional, behavioral, and developmental disabilities on the North Shore.
In addition to its special education programs, NEC runs the Northshore Recovery High School for students who have struggled with substance abuse disorders, and also provides a wide range of training and professional development for parents, teachers, and other specialists from area school districts.
