On October 18, 83 percent of Abington voters voted “Yes” for the construction of a new school. Since then, further construction dates have been set, plans for the already existing schools have been made, and the Abington School Building Committee (ASBC) has begun to prepare detailed construction drawings. The (ASBC) estimates the total project cost to be $96,400,000 with the state government covering about 59 percent. If all goes well with the bidding process, construction is set to start in fall. The new school will be built behind the current high school (1963), and will be similar to new schools in East Bridgewater, Marshfield and Rockland.

The ASBC has been working persistently to figure out what to do with the middle and high schools, and some big plans have been set. The high school is going to be demolished, as well as the front parking lots and playing fields, and the middle school is going to serve as a new office building. This will allow the Frolio Middle School (1937) to remain active, while also providing student sports teams to continue using the locker rooms for practices. As for the North School and Center School buildings, they are not going to be in use, making them “surplus,” and will therefore be turned over to the Board of Selectmen.

The new school is going to be a combined pre-kindergarten/middle/high school, providing vast improvements for the learning environments of all students. The Beaver Brook Elementary School, which currently hosts grades 1-4, will now only house grades 1 and 2, as well as kindergarten, relieving the overcrowded building. The Woodsdale Elementary School will house grades 3 and 4, meanwhile the rest of the students, (grades 5-12 and pre-k) will be sent to the new school, where they will have a modern and technologically advanced learning facility. If construction goes as planned, the first class of seniors to graduate from the new school will be the class of 2018. And, won’t that be nice!

For more information and updates, visit the ASBC web page also available through the Abington Public Schools and Town of Abington Web pages.