SWAMPSCOTT — The joint meeting between the School Committee, the Select Board and the Finance Committee may have covered a number of topics. But chief among them was a general reflection on the final updates required for the new Swampscott Elementary School (SES) project.
Facilities Director Max Kasper came before the several entities to show a presentation on how far the project has come, as well as discuss some remaining items on the town’s wish list to properly handle safety concerns. “It was such a whirlwind at the end of the summer, with the opening of the school year, that we never had a chance to kind of take a breath, and give updates on the closeout of the project,” Kasper said.
He said that while we’re already many months into the school year, the town is still at the “tail end of the project closeout,” according to Kasper. He began the presentation by showing an actual photograph of the front of the building with its modern and streamlined design.
“I think one of the things that we should be most proud of is our schedule,” he said in reference to the town’s hastened timeline. He added that the Stanley School was demolished in September 2022, with construction beginning during that coming December. He also included how substantial completion was on Aug. 9, 2024 — with a convocation held at the SES on Aug. 26, 2024.
“We held the convocation and then two years later the school year started, and I think that’s a remarkable timeline,” Kasper said.
There was also a Roadway Improvements Project which helped rebuild roads in attempt to make it easier for parents and kids to come and go. “We rebuilt Whitman Road entirely at the tail end of the project,” he said.
They added new sidewalks, multiple ramps to make the area more accessible. “All with the help of the Department of Public Works (DPW), it was really a partnership project,” he said.
He also included that the building is fully electric. “From a climate perspective, it’s really great,” Kasper said. “That’s what climate leadership is all about these days, is electrifying and decreasing your energy usage.”
He noted there is no gas-line located in the building. However, they do have a backup generator that runs off diesel fuel, which would keep the building running if the power went out – but there’s no fossil fuel usage in the building on a day-to-day basis.
Kasper mentioned that the building also has a geothermal HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) system. “Big sections of the building are heated and cooled through the geothermal system,” he said. “There are over eighty wells out in the front of the building that powers that system. That’s pretty great.”
He continued by elaborating on one of the biggest elements of the project. “Really, the most important thing is that the educational spaces are awesome,” Kasper said. He cited being in the Hadley school reiterated the need for improved spaces for students. “I’ve been in Hadley a lot recently, and to look back and think that our students were there a year ago, and they’re here today, it’s astounding. Really, it’s a thank you to both the community and the neighborhood.”
