School Committee Backs Push For New Peabody High School

PEABODY, MA -- The Peabody School Committee unanimously signaled support for replacing Peabody Veterans Memorial High School with a new facility. Led by Mayor Ted Bettencourt, who also chairs the school committee, the board will draft a letter of interest in time for its next meeting in hopes of getting it on the City Council agenda by March 28.

The aging building has a plethora of problems, and Bettencourt has been a vocal advocate for replacing it. City and school officials are facing an April 12 deadline to submit an application for consideration under the Massachusetts School Building Authority's Core Program.

"Despite significant improvements we’ve made to the cafeteria, outdoor athletic complex, field house, and auditorium, much of the rest of the school is badly showing its age and will likely require millions of dollars to maintain, stay functional, and up to date with state and local building codes," Bettencourt said in a Tuesday Facebook post renewing his push for a new high school.

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Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).