Page 11 - BusinessWest June 17, 2024

“We think it’s going to be a building that firmly puts East Longmeadow into the 21st century.”
meadow into the 21st century,” he told BusinessWest. “This will be a building that students can come into and use the most current technology available — classrooms designed for how the 21st century student learns, a setting that’s much more interactive. It’s not about a teacher standing in the front of the room and presenting all day; it’s a set- ting that’s much more conducive to hands-on learning, no matter what the subject matter might be.
“And from a safety standpoint, we won’t have to worry about leaking roofs and power outages and things of that nature,” he went on, adding that there have been many of both during this long fight for a new school.
Plans call for the new school to open its doors for the start of the 2026-27 school year, said Smith, who, like others we spoke with, said the impact of the new facility should be felt long before that.
Indeed, in many respects, a modern high school has been the one ingredient missing from a community that has a lot of other things going for it, including land on which to build new homes and businesses and a large commercial base that has helped keep resi- dential tax rates lower than in surrounding communities like Long- meadow and Wilbraham.
“With that investment in a new high school, I think you’re going to see more families moving into town,” said Timm Marini, presi- dent of Personal Lines Insurance at HUB International New Eng- land, which has an office on Shaker Road near the center of town. “The new schools really draw people — young people — which is what we need.
“We’ve seen several other area communities make investments in new high schools,” he said, listing Longmeadow, Wilbraham, West Springfield, and others. “East Longmeadow is a little behind the times in that respect, but now, town residents are putting their money where their mouth is, and it will benefit the community.”
Timm Marini, seen here with staff members during
a recent employee- appreciation day at HUB, says East Longmeadow has always been desirable, and a new high school will make it even more so.
Christensen, who grew up in town, returned to it several years ago, and then took an intriguing route to his current post — moving from deputy director of the Department of Public Works to deputy town manager to town manager — noted that the strong vote in favor of the debt exclusion (nearly 70%) spoke volumes about the need for the project and its importance to the community.
“The ‘yes’ votes were an indication that this could really jump- start our community,” he said, adding that while the town has recorded both residential and commercial growth over the past few decades, there is certainly room for more.
Indeed, there are two subdivisions (one with 23 lots, the other with 15) now in development, and there is ample land for more, he said.
But there are other needs in the community, he went on, noting that, like many communi-
ties in this region, there is a growing need for housing options, espe-
East Longmeadow
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