As the welcome bells ring across the district this morning for the first day, the Village School, which underwent $20 million renovations, will open its doors.
The renovation, which started in December 2008, began in the boiler room. The school's original heating system dated back to the 1950s. The project also included new flooring, windows, tiles, ceilings, and a lot of new paint around the building.
"It's beautiful and we're all thrilled," said Vice Principal Danielle Cherry. "The teachers couldn't be happier. We can't wait for all the students to see it."
Find out what's happening in Marbleheadfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The project was budgeted for $21.7 million and came in $1.518 million under that amount, according to the Village Building Oversight Committee. There are still some small projects or "punch list work that will continue in the next few weeks," said Amy Drinker of the VBOC. "That's always an important part of closing a project."
Students will not be affected by that work, Cherry said.
Find out what's happening in Marbleheadfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Village remained open throughout the renovation. The sixth grade -- which moved to the Veterans Middle School during the rehab work -- is returning this week.
"It will be wonderful to have the entire school community under one roof again," Hanna said. "It will really be impactful for student achievement."
Hanna is planning a Village School open house for the entire community on Sept. 27 at 7 p.m.
