ITEM PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE
The old Marshal Middle School.
BY BRIDGET TURCOTTE AND ADAM SWIFT
LYNN — While the shuttered Marshall Middle School is slated for demolition, some school committee members say the building is a target for thieves and vandals.
At its Thursday night meeting, the board requested a report on the status of the Porter Street building from Michael Donovan, the city’s director of Inspectional Services.
The request came after committee member Donna Coppola said the school has been broken into, heavily damaged and pipes removed.
“The biggest concern is that it’s still our property,” she said. “If people are going in there, what happens next? It’s our building, we should know if it is secured.”
Police Lt. Rick Donnelly said police investigated a breaking and entering at the school earlier this month.
But Superintendent Catherine Latham disputed her claim. She said while there have been some break-ins and copper piping taken from the school, the building is secure.
“The security system still works,” Latham said. After entering the building with other school personnel recently, they were greeted by police within five minutes.
Latham said the school department is removing materials such as flags and clocks out of the building as needed. She said desks will be moved to other schools and the district’s principals and teachers have been invited to take anything they need.
The city has no planned use for the building. The state has given Lynn $3.5 million to demolish the facility.
Bridget Turcotte can be reached at [email protected] and Adam Swift at [email protected].
