PEABODY –– City and school leaders came together Thursday morning at Center Elementary school to mark the end of the year-long construction project with a rededication ceremony and plaque.
“This was a very difficult project, and a very difficult decision for all of us to make the decision to move forward with this project,” Bettencourt said. “I feel like we’ve made some great strides over the years doing infrastructure work specifically for our schools.”
He added, “I felt for years our schools were not getting the attention that they needed, and now we have a brand new middle school. We have a brand new Welch Elementary School. We have a high school on the near horizon that’s very exciting, but we needed to do some work here at the Center School, which is a very special place.”
Bettencourt continued, saying that the decision to close the Center School for the 2024-25 school year was “not an easy decision.” He added that “it’s very disruptive for the students, for the families of this neighborhood who rely on the Center School, the staff, teachers, principal, everybody here,” but that the work simply couldn’t be done over the summer break.
“To close an elementary school, transition 400 students and families to different schools within the City, and try to make that work as best we can was very difficult,” Bettencourt said. He then commended his team, the school’s staff, and members of City leadership.
To give a “snapshot of the work that has been done to this building,” Bettencourt listed the following: “a brand new heating system, new exhaust fans, complete electrical and plumbing upgrades, new floor tiles, new ceiling tiles, LED lighting across the building, painting, new kitchen equipment, new lockers, desks, and furniture, new playground, paving, and fencing all around the building.”
Bettencourt said this project wouldn’t have been able to be completed without the help from Facilities Manager Jim Politano and Assistant Facilities Manager Rob Harris.
Superintendent Dr. Josh Vadala also spoke Thursday morning, saying that “the key here is that the Center School is a very special place.”
“There’s a lot of love here,” Vadala said. “We recognize that the building was inadequate, but the passion, the families that were involved, the staff that was involved, really love and care about the students here, and the teaching and learning has always been at a high level.”
Vadala also mentioned how proud he was that Center School was recognized by the State Department of Elementary & Secondary Education “for excellent teaching and learning.” He added that this was “the first time that we’ve ever had a school in Peabody that got this recognition.”
Center School Principal Sara Almeida thanked everyone for their support, calling this project a true “team effort.”
When asked what it felt like to see students back at the Center School, Almeida said, “seeing their faces in here made it all worthwhile.” She added, “All the preparation, the year closing, just to have them back here has been everything.”
Out of the roughly 400 Center School students who had their education disrupted last year, 285 returned to Center School for the 2025-26 school year, as some chose to continue at the schools they went to during the last school year.
Almeida said, following the project’s completion, Center School “seems like a brand new school.” She was very excited about the new furniture, new paint, and especially the new lighting, as it has made the whole environment feel brighter and “more welcoming.”
Bettencourt noted that the City Council funded this project. According to him, $2.25 million went into the Center School project, and “we were able to open on time and under budget.” He added, “In fact, we’re still going to be replacing some doors and (doing) some other touch ups, so we still have funding for that within that $2.25 million.”
