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Date: 1/18/2022
SPRINGFIELD – The state-of-the-art innovations behind the upcoming DeBerry-Swan School took center stage as city officials celebrated the topping out stage of construction during a Jan. 4 ceremony.
DeBerry-Swan’s development comes amidst a slew of modernizations for the Springfield School District, with the city also unveiling the Brightwood-Lincoln Elementary School in August 2021. According to the city’s press release, the DeBerry-Swan School will be replacing the outdated DeBerry School and the formerly named Homer Street Elementary School, which has since been dedicated to former retired state Rep. Benjamin Swan after a unanimous School Committee vote in November 2021.
Construction for the new school became paramount after the former educational facilities were deemed outdated. Built in 1951 and 1898 respectively, DeBerry and Homer lacked accommodations for the students and staff, including the lack of a gymnasium and cafeteria space at Homer, according to the press release.
Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno gathered for the ceremony alongside Swan, Superintendent Daniel Warwick, state Sen. Adam Gomez, state Reps. Bud Williams, Carlos Gonzalez and Orlando Ramos, City Councilors Malo Brown and Jesse Lederman and School Committee members Chris Collins, LaTonia Monroe Naylor and Joesiah Gonzalez.
In his address, the mayor articulated the importance of the new facility and the positive change it will bring for faculty and students.
“To the principals of both schools, Elizabeth Fazio and Catherine Roberts, this is for you, your teachers, staff, students and their families. The community has longed for this project to come to life and today is the day,” said Sarno.
Warwick took time to thank support from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) in the development and construction of new facilities in the city. “MSBA continues to invest in Springfield students, and we could not be more thrilled for the students of the DeBerry-Swan schools,” said Warwick.
As the ceremony’s honored guest, Swan reflected on the significance of the school being dedicated in his name. “It’s not often we gain two schools at the same time. I am deeply and very much honored to be associated with the school in any way…School is important to the development of any community, and so we need to appreciate that,” said Swan.
The DeBerry-Swan School is scheduled to be completed August 2023. Once completed, the former DeBerry space will transform into a new parking lot that will be completed by August 2024, according to the press release.