Mayor encourages City Council to vote favorably on funding order to convert former EHS to 7th and 8th Grade Academy

Failure to pass funding risks no action being taken on overcrowding in Everett’s schools

Special to The Advocate

At a regular meeting of the Everett City Council on Monday, Sept. 9, the City Council failed to approve funding that would have converted part of the former Everett High School into a seventh and eighth grade academy to reduce overcrowding after a 7-4 vote in favor of the proposal. The order requires eight votes for passage. The City Council then voted favorably to reconsider the order once the Administration can provide a definitive answer on whether the Eliot Family Resource Center and Broadway Boxing Club can remain in the building.

If approved, the measure will allocate $72 million to convert part of the facility into an academy for Everett’s seventh and eighth grade students in an effort to reduce overcrowding. In addition to continuing to house the Webster School Extension, the plan includes keeping the Health and Wellness Center at a reduced size. Mayor Carlo DeMaria encourages the City Council to approve the funding order at the next City Council meeting.

“The Former Everett High School has been a lynchpin of the community through the valuable services organizations like the Eliot Family Resource Center, the Health and Wellness Center, and Broadway Boxing Club provide,” said Mayor Carlo DeMaria. “My Administration is committed to working to ensure that Everett’s residents continue to benefit from the good work these organizations do every day while partnering with leadership from Everett Public Schools to provide an exceptional classroom experience for Everett students and educators. I look forward to working with the City Council to move forward on this proposal.”

The Former Everett High School, which is located at 548 Broadway, has served the Everett community for over a century. Initially opened in 1922 to better serve Everett’s burgeoning student population, it served as Everett’s primary high school until 2007, when the city’s new high school opened at 100 Elm St. The Administration has continued to use the building to meet educational and community needs in Everett after prior efforts to surplus the property failed to attract proposals acceptable to residents.