PEABODY — The new alternative high school under construction at the Northshore Mall will eventually be educating more than 40 students a year.
What will be known as Peabody Learning Academy will serve students from the city who have dropped out or who are at risk of dropping out of school.
"You kind of have to think of this facility almost as a fork in the road," mall General Manager Mark Whiting said. "If it wasn't here, what path would those 40 to 50 kids take? And with it being here, what path will they now be redirected to?"
The Peabody School Department and the Simon Youth Foundation, the mall's charitable arm, are collaborating to transform what was once Kitchen Etc. into classroom space for students who struggle in a traditional classroom setting. It is a concept that has been successfully implemented in 25 malls throughout the country. Peabody is the first New England location.
Construction workers yesterday were busy putting up the walls inside the school as the mall hosted a "sneak peek" at the progress for city officials and the media.
When it is finished sometime in September, the school will initially enroll 20 to 30 students. It will be staffed with a math/science teacher, an English/social studies teacher and a supervising teacher.
"This is going to be a smaller, nurturing environment," Peabody Superintendent C. Milton Burnett said.
Students will have a dedicated work station with a computer equipped with educational software that will allow them to learn at their own pace. They will have to pass the MCAS and will graduate with a diploma from Peabody High School.
The school is 14,000 square feet and has an additional 1,000 square feet available for expansion. The total cost to build it is $413,000.
The city is covering a third of that total, Simon Youth Foundation is covering a third and a consortium of insurance companies donated the last third. Once it's completed, the city will occupy the school rent-free but must cover a projected $12,000 in annual utility costs.
All the construction, from every skilled trade needed for the job, is being done for free or at a reduced cost by various unions.
"This is a unique situation," said David Chomsky, project superintendent for KRS construction. He hasn't seen anything like it in his nearly 40-year career. "To me, it's impressive."
Peabody High School Principal Ed Sapienza called it an "effort from the heart" that will benefit not only the high school students, but adults who might use the facility for evening education courses.
"This isn't the bad boy school. This is going to be a serious learning academy for kids and adults who really want to get to the next step," Sapienza said. "For every kid who can get through, we're opening up endless possibilities for their future."
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