Swampscott Voters Unite For $98 Million School: Patch Sunday

Swampscott MA

24 October, 2021

2:59 PM

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SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Election season is upon the North Shore with citywide votes coming up in Beverly, Peabody and Salem next week. But in Swampscott one of the biggest decisions facing the town in recent years has already been determined after voters approved a new $98 million elementary school in overwhelming fashion. By nearly a 2-to-1 margin, voters backed the new school that will consolidate the town's thee aging elementary schools into two buildings at one site. Read up on the reaction to that vote — plus anything else you may have missed on the North Shore this week — by spending a few minutes with us on Patch Sunday. School 'Yes' Vote 'A Golden Moment In Time For Swampscott' For seven years since the stinging defeat of the Swampscott's last elementary school proposal, town and school officials worked with focus and design groups, the school building and town finance committees, and dozens of dedicated residents to help ensure that the next time a new school was brought before voters the hopes and dreams of the town's youngest and future residents would not suffer the same fate. On Tuesday night, those efforts paid off with an overwhelming majority in the vote to approve a $98 million debt exclusion to build twin K-4 schools on the site of the current Stanley Elementary School. The town has secured $34 million in state reimbursements — leaving the cost to residents about $64 million. "This is a really wonderful moment in time when one generation supports another generation," Swampscott Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald told Patch on Wednesday. Endicott Enters $20 Million Cummings Nursing School Partnership A record $20 million partnership between Endicott College and Cummings Foundation will include renaming the school's nursing school the Cummings School of Nursing and Health Sciences. Anyone For Tennis? Swampscott Police Have Lost Serving Machine Lost keys, phones and even a random bicycle are one thing. A lost tennis ball serving machine is something different for Swampscott police to be looking to reunite with its owner. Salem High Schools Awarded $300K Barr Foundation Grant Salem high school students are set to benefit from a $300K Barr Foundation grant intended to support the redesign of career and technical programs as well as expand the dual enrollment and early college credit courses and internships. The Blues Are Coming Back To Beverly The blues are coming back to Beverly in a big way next month. The Cabot Street Cinema Theater will host a unique Blues Festival 2021 on Nov. 6 with a documentary debut screening followed by an All-Star concert of regional blues legends. "The night will be a celebration of both the past and the present as the blues will be in full swing on Nov. 6th. We hope this is the first blues festival of many." - Cabot Executive Director Casey Soward. (Dave Copeland/Patch)Marblehead Schools Bumps Pay Amid Substitute Teacher Crunch The Marblehead School Committee voted unanimously to back a 38 percent increase in the daily substitute teacher rate in hopes of being more attractive for subs amid a shortage of those willing to watch the classrooms this fall. Hiker From Beverly MA Dies On Lonesome Lake Trail In Franconia New Hampshire Fish & Game Department was notified of a hiker that was actively receiving CPR on the Lonesome Lake Trail in Franconia Saturday. The hiker, a 53-year-old male from Beverly, Massachusetts, was hiking with a partner when he suddenly collapsed on the trail at about 8 a.m. NH Fish and Game Sgt. Heidi Murphy said efforts to revive the hiker were unsuccessful. Home Rule Petition Could Let E-Bikes Take Flight In Salem Salem residents could soon have a new way to get around the Witch City. Last week, the Salem City Council had its first look at a proposed home-rule petition to allow electric bikes, or e-bikes, on local roads. Mayor Kim Driscoll said the public bike share program BlueBikes would like to add e-bikes to its fleet in Salem. But because of the way the vehicles are categorized in state law, they're technically not allowed on the road. North Shore Mass Vaccination Site Returns To Danvers A coronavirus mass vaccination redux is coming to Danvers. Only this time, the massive crunch of frustration and frenzy that accompanied the opening of the original mass vaccination site at the Danvers DoubleTree Hotel in February should be replaced with the more measured approach of those eligible coming to one of four booster mass vaccination sites at North Shore Community College. Did you find this article useful? Invite a friend to subscribe to Patch. (Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at [email protected]. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)