City Council Approves Middle School Funding

On Tuesday night, the Beverly City Council unanimously approved appropriating $109.211 million for the construction of a new middle school.

It is expected that the city will pay for about $60 million of that cost, with the state covering the balance.

On Sept. 30, the Massachusetts School Building Authority will vote on the exact reimbursement ratio for the project.

The new school is expected to be completed and open for students in the fall of 2018.

City Council President Paul Guanci thanked former Mayor Bill Scanlon for starting the project and current Mayor Mike Cahill for finishing it.

The proposed building project calls for the construction of a new four-story, 231,509-square-foot building located on the site of the existing Memorial School Building at 502 Cabot Street. The school would serve 1,395 students in grades five through eight.

The current building would be vacated and demolished in an early phase of the project, allowing for the construction of the new building to get underway on the site.

The school would be open for students in September of 2018 if everything goes as scheduled.