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Costa hopes modular classrooms will open within 30 days

By Courtney Llewellyn

Reminder Assistant Editor



EAST LONGMEADOW Dr. Edward Costa, superintendent, and the School Committee met last week to discuss positive changes the East Longmeadow Public Schools can look forward to during the committee's Feb. 25 meeting.

The big issue that has been on the minds of both members of the administration and parents is the completion of the 12 modular classrooms at the district's three elementary schools. The project officially began in February 2007 when the schools went out to bid for contractors who would build four classrooms at each of the schools. Costa said the project should have been completed by Aug. 2, 2007. A variety of delays have the kept the project unfinished for 13 months.

The classrooms are a few cosmetic changes away from being opened, hopefully within the next 30 days, according to Costa.

"We were asked by our town's electrical inspector to get an electrical engineering report [on the modular classrooms] from a third party to insure all the electrical work would be done correctly," Costa told Reminder Publications. The school brought in Shepherd Engineering of Worcester, Mass., to write the report.

"The report lists things our electrical engineer wants taken care of," Costa explained. "Once everything is taken care of, everything will be ready."

The superintendent considers the engineering report as a positive one because it's very thorough and "only ensures that East Longmeadow is getting top quality facilities."

The classrooms only need approval from the electrical inspector and a certificate for occupancy from the building inspector before they can be officially opened.

School Committee Chair Bob Mazzariello said he had toured the classrooms during the day before the committee's meeting with Selectman Jim Driscoll and the building inspector and that all three believed the classrooms would be done very soon.

"We are so appreciative of the parents and staff for putting up with the cramped classrooms this school year," Costa stated. "They knew we were waiting to make sure everything was perfect before we started occupying these classrooms.

"If you get it right the first time, you won't have to worry about it down the road," he continued. "That's been our motto for a long time."

The other positive change that the schools will be seeing soon comes from the awarding of East Longmeadow Educational Endowment Fund (ELEEF) grants. A total of 13 grants were awarded by the fund, with Birchland Park Middle School and Meadow Brook Elementary School receiving one apiece, Mapleshade Elementary and Mountain View Elementary receiving three apiece, the high school receiving four, and one grant benefitted all five schools.

The grants provide funds for things like kamishibai (Japanese storyboards), a literacy closet, a model of the human eye and ear, a robotics project, classroom "Jeopardy!" and more. The total amount awarded in grants totals $23,663.

Of the 23 grant proposals received, Costa said, "They were all quality applications." He also thanked ELEEF, mentioning how the schools were "very appreciative" of the work the group does.

Angela Thorpe, member of the School Committee, added that tickets are still available for ELEEF's Dinner Dance and Comedy Night fundraiser on March 8. Money raised from the event will directly benefit future grants in the East Longmeadow Public Schools.