Swampscott To Hold Elementary School Forum Ahead Of Town Vote

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Swampscott officials will make their push for a new twin elementary school building on Thursday ahead of a townwide vote on the $97.5 project on Oct. 19.

The town will vote on the proposal to combine the town's three aging elementary into one twin building with a K-2 school, a Grades 3-4 school and a common area for administration and activities.

Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald, Superintendent Pam Angelakis, Facilities Director Max Kasper and School Committee Chair Suzanne Wright will speak at the forum that will run from noon until 1 p.m.

Because of coronavirus health restrictions, seating is limited, but the forum will be aired on Swampscott Cable.

Those looking to reserve a seat can call 781-596-8866.

In-person voting will take place at Swampscott High School for all precincts. The Select Board voted for five days of early voting beginning on Oct. 9 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at town hall. There is no voting on Columbus Day, then early voting at town hall will continue Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and conclude Friday from 8 a.m. to noon.

Residents will have until Oct. 13 at 5 p.m. to request a mail-in ballot and those must be returned to the town clerk's office or the dropbox at the town hall by 8 p.m. on Oct. 19 to count.

Voters will decide whether to authorize the $97.5 million debt exclusion for the proposed new twin elementary schools. The town secured state matching funds of $34 million, which brings the cost to the town to about $63.5 million.

The proposed school will be built to serve about 900 students.

Town meeting members voted 244 to 39 to support a townwide vote on the new school. The "yes" vote also gave town officials the authority to negotiate an easement of property from the Unitarian Universalist Church needed for an access road as part of the state-approved proposal.

With the state matching funds, the town finance committee — which supported the new school — said the maximum annual net-tax impact of the new school would be $300 annually for the median single-family homeowner in the town.

If authorized and when completed, the proposed new school would replace the aging existing Hadley (which was built in 1911), Stanley (1929) and Clarke (1952) schools — which officials have said represents the third-oldest group of elementary school buildings in the state.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)