Easthampton: High school building plans move forward

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

EASTHAMPTON - As students return to Easthampton High School on Sept. 2, the plans for a new building - that many of them will never occupy - are moving forward.

A $43.6 million high school will be built on the same eight-acre parcel where the current building sits. Construction is expected to be completed by 2013.

Although school will be in session when workers break ground on the 110,000-square-foot building in fall 2011, the architects and School Committee members have vowed to place a high priority on keeping disruptions to a minimum.

A new high school has been in the planning stages for more than 12 years.

The School Committee supported the construction project after running into a slew of problems with the current school, which is 49 years old. Committee members called it undersized, worn out and lacking in technological infrastructure, fire sprinklers and a suitable auditorium.

The project got the final OK last May when city residents approved an $18.1 million debt exclusion override by a 3-1 margin. The override's passage means that the city will raise taxes over the next 20 years to help build, equip and furnish the new learning space.

An additional $25.5 million will be funded by the state's School Building Authority.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.