25-04-2025
Heated debate over relocating or renovating Anna E. Barry Elementary School in Chicopee
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – A heated debate Thursday night on whether Chicopee's Anna E. Barry Elementary School should stay in its current location or move to another site.
Residents met with the Anna E. Barry School Building Committee to voice their thoughts. Some believe sticking to the original plan of building a new school a few feet behind the current Barry Location, but building officials think otherwise.
The future of Anna E. Barry Elementary School in Chicopee is still in question. After the original plan to build the new school just feet behind the current Barry Location ran into issues, the Building Committee is considering another site.
They're looking to expand the Szetela Early Childhood School on Macek Drive. But not all residents agree since there are fields and a park behind the school. 'This park is used all year round by kids, families people walking their dogs. It's just wonderful to have a neighborhood park,' said Jennifer Christianson of Chicopee.
The building committee explains why they are looking at this as an option. 'We want to avoid redistricting, and we need a good-sized parcel of land in order to build the school. And unfortunately, within this district, there's really not a lot of options available to us,' added Chair of the Anna E. Barry School Building Committee, Carissa Lisee.
The project designer and manager will be studying and investigating the site to determine if it is a good fit. There will also be a survey of the property. If this school is selected as the new site, it would combine its preschool students with the Barry School's 340 kindergarten through fifth-grade students.
The other possibility is another location off of Robbins Road, but is out of district. But residents believe building the school behind the current Barry location is the best option for the school, despite the challenges with wetland soil and Article 97, which protects parkland area under Massachusetts State Law.
'Barry was built on wetlands before, and if it was built on what lands before, it can be done again, and they're grandfathered in. There's already a school there. They need to redistrict some of the kids. Maybe for a year and build on that property again,' said Christianson.
The building committee says it will come down to cost as to what project they move forward with. The committee hopes to present several preliminary design options by June.
Chicopee is working in partnership with the Massachusetts School Building Authority on this project. The Massachusetts School Building Authority will be providing funding to support the final design.
Information meetings will continue to be held on the second Thursday of every month.
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