Stay or Go? Committee Discusses Avery Elementary School's Long-Term Viability

Monday night's Avery Re-Use Committee meeting featured insight from several sources on a variety of issues that will impact the future of the current .

The faces the task of determining what should be done with the current school as construction on the new Avery School in East Dedham continues. Committee chairman Joe Heisler recognizes the group must be thorough in its evaluation.

"We don't want to lose out on any information," Heisler said. "We want to make sure we vet this properly so we have all the information and can make the best decision with the information available."

Architect Brad Dore provided feedback about the feasibility of re-using the current Avery school. Dore stressed the importance of determining the building's value based on its future use.

"There are a number of potential uses in terms of making the school a public building," Dore said. "Any building can be fixed, but at what cost?"

Structural improvements may need to be completed to bring the current school up to code. Dore suggested an analysis was necessary to address the building's electrical systems and accessibility. 

"They say they don’t build [schools] like they use to," Dore said. "That's sometimes true. Sometimes, that’s a good thing, and sometimes that's bad." 

Director Vicky Kruckeberg urged the committee to consider the history of the school. The current Avery Elementary School has been a part of the Dedham community since 1921.

The Re-Use Committee could consider attempting to get the school historical status. 

"The school could get historical status on state or national levels," Kruckeberg said, "but you add restrictions to changing the structure [of the building], which could affect the reuse of the building."

Town Administrator William Keegan recognized the current school could be used as a police station, fire station or senior center in the future. But the committee must consider the financial ramifications of its decision.

"The building will essentially be empty once the new school opens, but the costs of maintaining it are real," Keegan said. "These are real issues we need to come to grips with at some point."

The new Avery School will accommodate 310 students when it opens next year. Re-Use Committee member Paul Reynolds stressed the importance of diligence and hard work to make the right decision for the town and the community. 

"It's necessary for us to do our homework," Reynolds said.

The group will try to develop a long-term decision-making process.

"This is uncharted territory for us," Heisler said. "If we do this right, this is a model that could be used in the future."