QUINCY — The city’s new special education school is nearly complete and is expected to accept its first batch of kindergarten students as early as January, officials said.
“This is unique,” Mayor Thomas Koch said of the Dr. Rick DeCristofaro Learning Center on Old Colony Avenue. “This is a message to the city that we care about our children and understand the specific challenges faced by families with children with special needs.”
Superintendent Kevin Mulvey said the new school will be a “game changer” for Quincy families who would otherwise have to leave the district to receive specialized services.
A total of 175 Quincy students go outside the district to receive special services, but not all of them have autism or conditions that the DeCristofalo Learning Center can accommodate, the assistant superintendent said. Erin Perkins said. Fifty of those students will return to Quincy Public Schools thanks to the new facility.
“Now every student has the opportunity to be part of their school community,” Mulvey said at the Oct. 2 City Council meeting. “This school will tolerate that. I couldn’t be more proud of our city’s leadership.”
The kindergarten through eighth-grade school accepts students from the city’s CARES program for children with “pervasive developmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders,” according to the city’s website. become.
The first batch of students will transfer from the Amelio Della Chiesa Early Childhood Center, city officials said.
A dedication ceremony at the school will be held on Sunday, October 22 at 2 p.m., honoring former Quincy Schools Superintendent Richard DeCristofaro, for whom the new school is named, followed by a reception for prospective students at 3 p.m. An open house will be held for the family. Mr. DeCristofaro is currently the president of Quincy. College.
What’s in the new DeCristofaro Learning Center?
The 57,000-square-foot, three-story facility will have 30 classrooms, each with a private bathroom for one person, said Quincy Public Buildings Director Paul Hines. It also features a gymnasium, kitchen, cafeteria, three elevators, a calming room, and several multipurpose and therapy rooms.
Hines said there will be a new playground at the back of the building, and the exterior of the building will be enlivened with blues, yellows and natural scenery. The same colors and theme are reflected within the building, with each “district” being color-coded to help children identify their place within the school.
“For the rest of my life, I will be grateful for this opportunity and proud of what we have done,” Hines told city council members.
Describing the school as “the proudest project of my career,” Perkins, who served as Quincy’s director of special education before becoming assistant superintendent, said he spent a lot of time working on every detail. Told.
“We wanted this space to be a calming place for students and staff,” Perkins said.
She described the subdued colors and dim lighting in all classrooms, as well as a sensory room with swings, balls, light tubes and soft furniture, in addition to rooms for physical, surgical and speech therapy.
The school also has a “life skills classroom” on the third floor that resembles an apartment with a washer, dryer, kitchen and other adult accessories. Perkins said the classroom is designed to allow older students to be as independent as possible.
Built in 1920, this red brick building housed the Howard Johnson ice cream, candy, and condiment factory from 1938 to 1989.
It became part of Eastern Nazarene University in the 1990s and was purchased by Quincy in 2020 for $6.8 million, according to city records.
$43 million school costs, savings and funding sources
Quincy Chief Financial Officer Eric Mason said the $43 million school had three funding sources.
He said about $23 million came from Quincy taxpayers, and $20 million came from the federal CARES Act, which helps state and local governments manage the coronavirus outbreak, and the American Rescue Plan Act. It was brought about through the Economic Relief Program Act). Pandemic.
Initially, the scope of the school plan was much smaller. In early 2020, city planners envisioned a facility that would house about 150 students, with much of the building used as administrative office space. Officials say the school can currently accommodate 350 students.
As city and school officials learned the project would be eligible for federal funding, they began discussing how to utilize every square foot for Quincy’s special needs students, Mason said. It is said that it has begun.
“That’s what makes inclusive playgrounds possible,” Mason said. “That’s what made hydrotherapy and speech therapy possible.”
Mason said hydrotherapy helps people with movement disorders exercise in special aquariums, where buoyancy reduces stress on the body.
Mason, who spent seven years as a speech therapy client, said she has a poster of the project in her office from when she first presented it to the city council in 2021.
“This is my favorite thing we’ve ever done, so I kept it on hand,” he said.
In addition to the initial $43 million outlay, Mason estimates annual operating and capital expenses at $10 million.
However, the school is expected to save Quincy money.
Average annual tuition and transportation costs can reach up to $120,000 per out-of-district student and are paid for out of Quincy’s school budget. Mason said retaining the 50 students expected to return would save about $6 million.
Mr Mason said additional savings would come from students not having to use outside services. It’s also possible that non-residents, attracted by what Mason calls “first-class” facilities, may choose Quincy with their tuition.
City Council members express gratitude, excitement and share personal experiences
A presentation about the school was put on the agenda for the Oct. 2 meeting by 1st District Councilman Dave McCarthy, whose children have used special education services.
“We are very close to installing a new jewel in the city of Quincy,” McCarthy said. “My kids go to South Shore Collaborative (in Norwell), and I know this model has been very successful for the kids who attend there. We’re bringing this to our backyard. It would be a huge accomplishment for Quincy to put it there.”
Councilwoman Nina Liang said her sister grew up with severe developmental disabilities.
“It would be great to have her in this building,” Liang said.
Liang suggested mobilizing local organizations such as the city’s Language Access Program and Quincy Asian Resources to ensure that “every family that lives here” has access to expanded services.
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