Old Keith will be ready for Classes

By JACK SPILLANE Standard-Times staff writer
NEW BEDFORD — Reopening Keith Junior High School will pose a few logistical problems but no major operational ones, Superintendent Michael E. Longo said.

"We left everything intact," he said.

The furniture, desks and chairs are still in place, and the books and materials that had been boxed to move down the road will simply be reopened, he said.

Delaying the opening of the new Keith Middle School while repairs are made on a ruptured cap on the former landfill where the school is built will mean changing the busing schedules of some special education students, Mr. Longo said.

But very few students in Grades 6 through 8, whether they go to the junior high or elementary schools, are bused anyway, he said.

Mr. Longo said repainting is going on now that the junior high school will reopen.

Teachers probably will be inconvenienced by having to post their bulletin boards twice this year.

There is extra planning for the administrative staff, he said. He will unveil the details at tonight's School Committee meeting.

"It's a lot of work," he said. He is working with Mayor Scott W Lang to determine whether the new school can open on Columbus Day or after two, three or more months, he said. Mr. Longo estimated the cost of reopening the junior high school at $7,000 to $10,000.

He said he is happy to delay the opening to ensure that the environmental conditions at the new Keith are right. "No one wants to put kids in an unsafe environment," he said. Contact Jack Spillane at jspillane@s-t.com