School and government leaders held a ribbon cutting for a new elementary school in North Adams Monday afternoon.Although some 340 students have been attending classes at Colegrove Park Elementary for a few weeks, Monday’s ceremony allowed area leaders to recognize the work done to renovate the 19th century building into a 21st century educational center. The building was once home Drury Academy, Drury High School and Conte Middle School before closing in 2009. Principal Shelly Fachini says the school’s technology is one of its biggest advantages.
“You see a teacher using a projector and children are involved,” Fachini said. “No longer do we have to hang maps on the wall because you can now project them onto the wall. It is the way our students learn today. We are meeting the children where they’re at. So their potential with the technology that many students understand was not really being met until we got here because we didn’t have the technology infrastructure to do that.”
Security and energy saving systems were improved along with updating wireless technology. Students from the now shuttered Sullivan Elementary School shifted to Colegrove along with some from the other elementary schools as district lines were redrawn. Outgoing North Adams Public Schools Superintendent James Montepare discussed Colegrove’s history — evident in the ornate gym ceiling.
“Saving this school is to me saving the seat of education in the city of North Adams,” Montepare said. “This was Nathan Drury throwing $3,000 on the table in 1840 saying ‘Put together a school here.’ As we unveiled the school and went through the construction project you could see all of the historical presence in this building.”
With preliminary work beginning in 2007, the renovation cost about $30 million with the Massachusetts School Building Authority covering about $23 million of it. MSBA Executive Director Jack McCarthy lent a few words to the children seated on the gym bleachers about how the project came about.
“You see the people up here and the people sitting in the middle?” McCarthy said, pointing to the adults gathered. “A lot of those people voted to raise their own taxes. That’s kind of crazy if you think about it. You always wonder why would someone raise their own taxes. But when I look at you folks [children] it’s because you deserve it. You deserve a 21st century education. You deserve to be competitive with not just the rest of the commonwealth, but with the rest of the world. So I’m going to ask you guys on the count of three in your biggest voice, and then you’ll need to calm down afterwards, point to the middle and just say ‘Thank you.’”
The children answered with a resounding “Thank You!”
State Senator Ben Downing, who announced earlier Monday he isn’t seeking another term, says the children now attending classes at Colegrove make the investment worthwhile.
“This community deserves this building,” Downing said. “The teachers, staff, faculty and students in this district deserve this building.”
