Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Mass. Town Breaks Ground on $60M Elementary

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 07/23/21

Groundbreaking has taken place on a new elementary school in Amesbury, Mass. Construction of the Sgt. Jordan Shay Memorial Lower Elementary School was approved by city residents in 2019. The $60-million facility will sit next to the Cashman Elementary School, creating a two-building campus where students in preK–2 will attend the new school and students in grades 3–5 will attend Cashman.

The school is intended to use green design principles, with a projected savings of 28% in site energy use and 35% in reduced water use.

Project management is being handled by NV5. DiNisco Design is serving as architect for the building. The construction contract was awarded to CTA-Construction Managers. Civil engineering is being done by DGT Associates. And Brown + Sardina was named landscape architect. All are Massachusetts-based companies.

Sgt. Jordan Shay Memorial Lower Elementary School

The facility is being named after Jordan Shay, who grew up in Amesbury and died in Iraq during his second deployment. According to a foundation that was formed under his name, Shay specified in a "just in case letter" that if something were to happen to him, he wanted a scholarship fund to be started for students who "want to make a difference in the world." The foundation is led by Shay's mother, Holly.

Construction is expected to be done in March 2023.

Amesbury has posted all documents related to the project on a city website.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • AAADM Announces Building Safety Month Initiatives

    The American Association of Automatic Door Manufacturers (AAADM) recently announced its support of Building Safety Month as declared by the International Code Council (ICC), according to a news release.

  • Western Kentucky University, Gilbane Announce “Elevate WKU” Partnership

    Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Ky., recently announced that it has reached the financial close on a on a public-private partnership (P3) with Gilbane Development, according to a news release.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.

  • Hawaii Elementary School Reopens Following $25M Campus Modernization

    Haʻaheo Elementary School in Hilo, Hawaii, has reopened to students following a three-year, $25-million campus modernization and expansion project that significantly increases the school's instructional space while preserving one of the island's oldest educational institutions, according to local news.