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

  • NWEA Report Recommends K–12 Natural Disaster Recovery Strategies

    The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), a K–12 assessment and research organization, recently announced the release of a new playbook for schools and communities recovering from extreme weather events, according to a news release.

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.

  • Wisconsin District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The School District of La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff of two existing schools, according to local news. Funding for the school comes from a $53-million referendum approved in 2024.

  • Wold Architects & Engineers Acquires VPS Architecture

    Full-service planning, architecture, and engineering firm Wold Architects & Engineers recently announced that it has acquired VPS Architecture, according to a news release. The move will help strengthen Wold’s education and public-sector design expertise, industries in which both companies have strong pre-existing ties and relationships.