Top Pick For New School: Consolidated Elementary on Middle School Property

Everybody on the School Building Committee's first choice Tuesday morning was  to build a grades 1-4 consolidated school for 635 students behind the Middle School.

The location would be in the bowl area, where soccer and softball is played.

The preferred option now goes to the Massachusetts School Building Authority to decide — by the end of November — whether to accept the Swampscott school selection before reviewing it and determining how much state funding to provide — up to 45 percent.

The chairman of the Swampscott School Building Committee said the administrators and teachers on the local building panel spoke before the vote in favor of the Middle School location as the best place for kids to learn.

They said the elementary school's closeness to the middle school would allow for crossover learning opportunities and sharing resources.

The other 635 student grades 1-4 option that was eligible for state building assistance was to build on the Stanley School property.

The district business manager and school facilities director said a new school in proximity to the middle school offered the district efficiencies in upkeep and maintenance, Crimmins said.

Both the building committee chairman and fellow member Glenn Paster said they were excited about the possible new school but that it will be up to the town decide what gets done.

Any proposed new school would need a favorable vote from the town.

At the first of three forums earlier this month on the school building options speakers who opposed the middle school option raised concerns about traffic and parking.

A few speakers also had reservations about the way the state funding program is set up, ultimately giving voters a take it or leave it vote on a single option eligible for state funding.

Resident Patrick Jones, an architect, said a single campus for students in grades 1-8 at the Middle School property would have benefits for kids' education.

Under the single elementary school proposal, Swampscott's pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students would attend Clarke School.