You can’t please all the people all of the time. That saying rang true in Swampscott this week when the town School Building Committee voted to support construction of a new district-wide school on the Stanley School site.
The committee worked hard for three years to thoroughly examine solutions to Swampscott’s elementary school space crunch and the need to replace aging buildings.
More than 30 meetings, nine community forums, and an online survey were conducted to thoroughly gauge residents’ viewpoints on school construction.
The survey generated 1,059 responses with 44 percent of respondents preferring the district-wide Stanley School option; 31 percent picking the district-wide Hadley School option, and 25 percent selecting a Hadley-only option.
“There’s no perfect option,” said School Building Committee Chair Suzanne Wright in summarizing public sentiment about school construction options Tuesday night.
The district-wide school will cost between $97 million and $114 million with a 900-student capacity. Paying for it and getting it built will be a major task for Swampscott residents. But a commitment to build a district-wide school for the town’s youngest students will represent an investment in local education that will span generations.
Local participation in discussions and planning meetings for a district-wide school demonstrate local residents’ love for Swampscott and their desire to make local schools the best they can be.
We salute the building committee for its hard work and for constructing a strong foundation to firmly support the detailed planning and design process for a new district-wide school.