After some discussion, at tonight’s meeting of the Tewksbury School Committee, members voted 4 to 0 to name the new school the Center Elementary School.
Member Bridget Garabedian initially made a motion to name the building the Shawsheen Center Elementary School, seconded by member Shannon Demos, but the motion did not pass, with member John Stadtman and chair Keith Sullivan voting nay and member Nick Parsons abstaining.
Demos then made a motion for the Center Elementary School, seconded by Stadtman, and that motion passed with Parsons again abstaining. The current Center School will be demolished.
In discussion, Sullivan said he likes the name “Pleasant Street School,” which was suggested by a number of residents and building committee members, but is concerned that there are already two schools on Pleasant St., and that in an emergency situation there could be confusion that could lead to first responders going to the wrong building.
In recognition of the two schools that will be decommissioned, the Trahan School and the North St. School, Demos suggested naming the library or other parts of the new facility after elements of those other schools, such as Lia’s Book Nook, to bring together the old and the new.
In other business, assistant superintendent Brenda Theriault-Regan walked the committee through MCAS results. Overall, the district was above the state average, with a few exceptions. The full results are available in the meeting packet beginning on Page 31.
“We have a lot to be proud of,” said Theriault-Regan. “But we have a lot of work to do as well.”
The committee also named Parsons to be the School Committee representative to the new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisory committee convened by the Select Board.
Sullivan opened the meeting with a moment of silence in honor of long-time resident Nickolas Romano, whose daughter Ann Romano Buskey was a member of the Tewksbury school committee, and popular Shawsheen Tech assistant dean and wrestling coach Mark Donovan. Both men passed away earlier this month.
Lorna Garey
Lorna is a U.S. Army veteran and 25-year resident of Tewksbury who has written for organizations ranging from the DIA to InformationWeek to a free weekly in New London that sent her to interview the pastry chef at Foxwoods.
[…] on the Elementary School Building Committee as they address a long list of matters in regard to the newly christened Center Elementary School starting at 6 p.m., and stay for the Public Events Committee at 7 p.m. to […]
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