LOWELL — Lowell Public Schools is preparing the former Ste Jeanne d’Arc School to accept some special education students in time for the start of the 2024-2025 school year.
At its July 25 meeting, Superintendent Liam Skinner updated the Lowell School Committee that the convent area of the school was “very suitable” for classroom use.
“The Facilities Department determined that the first floor of the school could not be ready, but believed that the annex could be prepared for use with relatively minor renovations,” Skinner said.
The opening is necessitated due to the increase in the number of students requiring special education services. Some of those services are provided at the Dr. Janice Adie Day School based in Chelmsford, which the district leases for almost $30,000 a month.
Skinner told the committee that there are 66 students currently enrolled at the Adie School and the number is projected to grow to at least 80 students at the start of the year. He proposed that 14 of these students with the most complex needs be placed at the new location in Pawtucketville.
“We are in the process of getting that ready,” Skinner said. “We’ve had the fire marshal look at it, the city building inspector looking at it, all of which seems to be going very well.”
In May, the Committee approved the purchase of the former Ste Jeanne d’Arc School on Dracut Street from the Archdiocese of Boston for $2.4 million as a dedicated special needs school for the district. The building operated as a private school for more than 70 years before closing at the end of the 2023 school year.
Both the School Committee and the City Council are responsible for school buildings. The district is responsible for custodial services, like cleaning, while the city is responsible for repairs. The purchase of the property required a City Council vote, which it unanimously approved.
Although owned by the city, the purchase money will come out of the School Department’s $10 million Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER). The funds are the education part of the American Rescue Plan Act passed in March of 2021, and provided three years of post-COVID relief to help school districts to reopen and function safely as they recover from the pandemic.
In preparation for SJD’s opening, the committee approved several contracts including more than $100,000 for cabling for internet phones and cameras; almost $9,000 for floor coverings; and $10,000 for electrical upgrades, emergency lighting and new hallway lighting. The funds were provided by the school department’s maintenance contractual services budget.
During a special meeting last Wednesday, the School Committee approved additional staffing positions associated with the increased special education enrollment costs including three classroom teachers and nine paraprofessionals. A site manager, one board-certified behavioral analyst and additional occupational therapy and speech pathology services will also be allocated for the new site.
“These positions are crucial to ensuring that all students with diverse learning needs receive the appropriate support and services as outlined in their individual education plans,” Chief Operating Officer James Hall told the committee.
He said funding for the positions will come from the special education stabilization account, and will not tap the existing 2025 budget. Hall also said opening the SJD annex ultimately will save the district money in out-of-district and transportation costs.
“It is projected that the launch of this new site will save $150,000 to $200,000 in out-of-district tuition per student including approximately $350 in transportation costs per day per student, so the initial start-up costs will be offset by savings throughout the school year, while also improving education and services for these students,” he said.
Skinner said the savings are expected to grow as more of the SJD comes online to offer in-district services to LPS students, we well as out-of-district services – at a price – to other communities.
The main school building of the complex won’t be ready for at least two years while it undergoes extensive renovations. It was built in 1951 and will require upgrades – such as elevators – to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as other repairs and upgrades mandated by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Previously, City Manager Tom Golden said the city stands ready to support the district in meeting the needs of students in the community.
“The acquisition of the former Ste Jeanne d’Arc site is a big step for Lowell and shows our commitment to education,” Golden said. “We’re proud to work in partnership with the School Department in support of Lowell as a city that prioritizes education and values the success of every student.”