Teachers and staff from Metcalf School and Holyoke STEM Academy recently toured the new Peck Middle School, getting a feel for the layout and features of the building where they will be based beginning in August.
From the ground up, the new school has been designed to be bright, airy, functional, and fun—offering inspiring learning spaces tailored to meet the needs of 550 students in grades 6-8.
While tour participants overall loved the building’s design, layout, and well-lit classrooms, they perhaps marveled the most at one small design choice that will make a big difference for students and staff: in-classroom sinks with built-in water fountains that offer both convenience and a practical way to support classroom learning.
When ground was broken for the new school on March 8, 2024, the opening day seemed so far off. And now, in just a little over two months, Peck School staff will be opening the doors to the brand new facility and preparing to welcome students to their new school soon after.
“We are so fortunate that construction of the new Peck Middle School is on time and under budget,” said Superintendent Anthony Soto. “When we embarked on this journey to build a new middle school, a top priority was to ensure that the project cost fit within what the City of Holyoke could afford.”
Two related factors contributed to Holyoke’s ability to pay for the new school:
The building is a part of the Model School Program, which was designed to “effectively adapt and re-use the design of successful, recently constructed Pre-K through 12th grade schools.” Model schools are efficient in design, easy to maintain, and often, less expensive and quicker to build.
Mount Vernon Group Architects was chosen for its strong record of designing highly cost-effective buildings that meet the needs of its client districts. They proposed an accelerated design and construction timeline, allowing the City of Holyoke to open the new middle school a year earlier than would have been possible had another design firm been selected.
It was also important to Holyoke Public Schools that the school open at the beginning of the school year rather than mid-year, to ensure a strong start and fewer transitions for students and staff, Mr. Soto said.
To meet this aggressive timeline, project contractors, subcontractors, and Holyoke staff have been working overtime to ensure the project could be completed on time. The school will be substantially completed and open in August.
“As with all construction projects of this scale, some finishing work will still need to be completed after the building opens,” Mr. Soto said. “This work will continue in the background and should not be disruptive to daily school operations and activities.”