Background & Timeline

Timeline

The East Gloucester/Veterans School Building Project began more than four years ago, with a unanimous September 2016 School Committee vote to modernize Gloucester’s four aging elementary school buildings. The School Committee decided to build a combined East Gloucester/Veterans School first, and a combined Beeman Memorial/Plum Cove Elementary School later. The School Committee came to this decision after more than a year of discussion and seven public meetings. Now, in 2021, the work of so many community members and educators reaches a new phase -- the building of the new school. The new school building is scheduled to be completed in the Summer of 2023.

Funding

This project will be funded in part by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) which, after a very competitive process, has earmarked $27 million to this project. Gloucester will also have access to MSBAs considerable expertise on construction and educational requirements. The balance of the project will be funded by Gloucester’s taxpayers who approved a debt exclusion override on November 3, 2020.

The School Building Committee, the School Committee and Gloucester Public Schools’ administration will continue to work with the greater Gloucester community as we move forward on this major building project.

This is what classrooms looked like when East Gloucester School was built in 1948

This is what cars looked like in 1948, the year East Gloucester School was built.


Project Timeline​:


  • 2002: Mt. Vernon report issued on the conditions of all elementary schools.

  • 2009-2016: West Parish building project for a new school building which welcomed students September 2016.

  • 2014: Architects prepared a Master Plan Study of all Gloucester Elementary Schools (except for West Parish) and determined that East Gloucester was the most in need of a new facility.

  • June, 2016: Statement of Interest submitted to MSBA for East Gloucester School.

  • February, 2017: East Gloucester School was selected by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) to be considered for a new or renovated school building. 90 projects submitted applications, and only 17 were were selected for the entire state.

  • September, 2017: The Gloucester School District established the East Gloucester/Veterans School Building Committee to help oversee the new school building project.

  • December, 2017: Gloucester City Council voted unanimously in favor of funding a feasibility study to determine the most viable site for a new school building in Gloucester.

  • February, 2018: Massachusetts School Building Authority announces that Gloucester is one of six school districts in the state selected to move forward with a feasibility study.

  • April-May, 2018: Project Manager firm CBRE / Heery selected through an RFP process.

  • June, 2018: Feasibility Study commences.

  • November, 2018: Project Designer Dore & Whittier selected through MSBA panel selection process.

  • December, 2018: Dore & Whittier contracted by City of Gloucester and begins work on identifying a feasible site for new school building.

  • 2019: Feasibility study conducted throughout the year.

  • August, 2019: Preliminary Design submitted to MSBA

  • July, 2020: Schematic Design submitted to MSBA

  • August 27, 2020: MSBA voted to approve the EGS/Veterans' school project.

  • October 4, 2020: Land Transfer Approved by City Council

  • November 3, 2020: City of Gloucester voters approved the EGS/Veterans' school building project by voting for the debt exclusion funding. This is a major milestone in the project and allows the project team to begin working on the detailed construction documents and planning for site work.

  • December 8, 2020 : City Council votes to approve loan authorization for building project

  • September, 2023: Anticipated opening of a new EGS/Veterans' school building.


UPCOMING KEY DATES

  • More information coming soon...

As of Jan. 20th, 2021