On its sixth request for state financial help to build a new high school, the Peabody (Massachusetts) district has been accepted by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) into its funding program.
The Salem News reports that the MSBA vote follows five failed requests since 2015 for help on a new high school. In its most recent accreditation renewal, Peabody received a warning status over the condition of the school's facilities.
During a 270-day eligibility period, the MSBA will work with the city to determine its financial and community readiness for a new school.
Once that work is complete, the MSBA is expected to invite Peabody to a feasibility study phase to see what the project will entail, including costs, where the building would be constructed and what it may look like.
While it's too soon to set a price tag on the project, the MSBA will reimburse Peabody for about 60% of its cost, Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt said.
It will be about five to seven years before the doors of the new school will open; it will take about three years for construction to break ground.
The existing school was built in 1970 and received $20 million in renovations between 2004 and 2010.
In recent years, the school system has spent several million dollars to upgrade athletic facilities, cafeteria, and auditorium and to repair a large section of the roof.
Many of the systems at the school are at the end of their life span. The school district recently had to replace two chillers and repair a faulty HVAC system.
A new building will be more energy efficient and save thousands of dollars for the city on heating costs, Bettencourt said.
Peabody was one of 19 projects from 63 applicants in the state to receive MSBA approval for the program, which funds new buildings or major renovations.
