Spectrum News 1 reports that building a new Greylock Elementary for grades pre-K through 2 is projected to cost around $65 million.
The Massachusetts School Building Authority would provide about $42 million, and North Adams voters must approve the remaining amount. The election is scheduled for Oct. 8.
North Adams Superintendent Barbara Malkas says several problems led to the closure of Greylock, which opened in 1953. The facility was plagued by flooding and outdated systems that couldn't be repaired or were too costly to repair. In addition, the roof is deteriorating and leaking.
“You can see where we’ve had some water damage." Malkas says. "End of spring, if we’ve had a snowy winter, there’s a lot of melt from the roofs. We can have a line of buckets here with water dripping in.”
If funding is approved, the school building will be razed and a new campus would open in 2027.
Mike Kennedy has been writing about education forAmerican School & Universitysince 1999. He also has reported on schools and other topics for The Chicago Tribune, The Kansas City Star, The Kansas City Times and City News Bureau of Chicago. He is a graduate of Michigan State University.
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