LOWELL — Students at Pawtucketville Memorial Elementary School will end the school year with the rest of their classmates across Lowell after all.
The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has granted a waiver that will allow PMES, which was slated to stay in session an extra day beyond the rest of the city’s public schools, to close for the summer Tuesday instead of Wednesday.
“We are thrilled that DESE came through and reversed their original decision, granting this last minute waiver so our Pawtucketville Memorial students can embark on summer break along with all of their friends across the city,” Lowell Public Schools spokesperson Jen Myers said in a texted statement.
State Rep. Rodney Elliott, whose district includes Pawtucketville, wrote to Acting DESE Commissioner Russell Johnston on Monday to request the department reverse course on its initial decision in light of school cancellations in other communities due to blazing temperatures that are expected to hit the region this week. The hot and humid weather starts Tuesday and will peak on Wednesday and Thursday, with heat indices spiking to above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Weather Service.
“It is my understanding that Superintendent Liam Skinner requested and was denied a waiver to end the school year at the Pawtucketville Memorial with the rest of the Lowell School System. School has been cancelled for the Worcester Public School students on Thursday due to the anticipated heat wave ending the school year early,” Elliott wrote, noting that DESE would not require Worcester to make up for the day.
“I am requesting the same courtesy be extended to the Pawtucketville Memorial Elementary School in Lowell. The School has been plagued with HVAC issues and breakdowns for years including the issue that delayed the start of the school year,” Elliott’s letter continued. “To be fair and equitable to all students across the Commonwealth I am requesting the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education reconsider and approve the waiver request to end school on June 18, 2024, at the Pawtucketville Memorial Elementary School.”
PMES had a delayed opening to the school year due to a mold issue that was discovered a week before school was due to start on Aug. 29. The pervasive mold growth required extensive immediate and ongoing remediation, as well as repairs to faulty HVAC systems that contributed to the problem. Those systems’ computerized controls were disabled due to an April 2023 cyberattack on the city, further compounding existing building issues, including a leaky gym roof, and contributing to poor air quality at the school.
Reporter Melanie Gilbert contributed to this report.