SWAMPSCOTT —The School Committee discussed updates to the Swampscott High School (SHS) auditorium Thursday evening as the plans are entering their final stages, chair Glenn Paster said.
Paster spoke on behalf of Joe Douillette, SHS teacher and coordinator at Swampscott Access Cable, who could not appear before the committee in person.
Douillette noted that, previously, residents had approved $480,000 at town meeting to install new theater lights. But there’s a positive addition. “National Grid is giving us a very generous grant for $200,000, with the requirement that the system be installed and working by March 31 of this year,” Paster said. He added that the new sound system approved by town meeting in fiscal year 2024 is finally arriving, with installation planned the over the same time frame.
“With that, and the new camera system, this auditorium will truly be a gem of the town, and the first reveal of this will be at the high school spring musical,” Paster said. But he also noted that Doulliette had stressed “the obvious impact the installation will have on the use of the auditorium.”
“The timing is not ideal, as musical rehearsals will be in full swing,” Paster said. “This will be out of our hands because of the opportunity to receive the grant. To prepare for a worst-case scenario, one contractor suggested a three-week window where the auditorium is off-limits.”
Paster said the space would be labeled a dangerous work zone, with all theatre lights being replaced and all electronic implements being pulled out. “Thousands of pounds of speakers and equipment will be hanging from the ceiling,” Paster said.
Pamela Angelakis, Superintendent of Schools, said that the Select Board and previous town administrator supported her idea of restricting the use of Swampscott Elementary School (SES) to the school department, thereby not allowing outside organizations to use the building. “Keeping it internal is important to us, and it’s good to know it’s important to the town, too,” she said.
“In this situation, we’ve already moved the National Honors Society induction program to SES because it is a school program, and we’re looking at moving band and chorus concerts there as well,” Angelakis added.
She noted that, with the number of plans and rehearsals scheduled, she has been in contact with individuals who run different programs out of the auditorium normally and will be sending them to SES for the time being.
