The Gardner Public Schools district in Massachusetts will push back the first day of the year due to supply chain problems that have slowed the construction of the new elementary school.
Superintendent Mark Pellegrino announced in a letter Monday that the team was delayed from completing the elevator because pieces were missing from a shipment of electrical parts. There are also delays in an order for electrical panel boards required in other parts of the building.
"We've been getting orders saying it's going to be shipped in May, and then June, and then July, and then August, so now it's in process," Mark Hawke, the district's director of finance and operations, said Tuesday.
Gardner Elementary School will open two weeks later than planned. Gardner Middle School, Gardner High School and Gardner Academy will be pushed back by one week.
Pellegrino said that until Friday district officials believed they would start on schedule, but the delays mean the project won't be complete in time. He noted that they've been "proactively planning" for the situation and have a new schedule that balances "the importance of getting students in as soon as possible and providing teachers with the time they need to prepare for the opening of a new school," as well as impacts to sports and testing timelines and bus company schedules.
The district is hoping to get a waiver from the state so students don't have to make up the missed class time next summer. It is also working to help those who need it with child care to help families stay afloat.
"A lot of parents really look forward to that, to get back to work, so yeah, I can imagine how frustrating it would be," said parent Bonnie Rushinski.
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The full announcement, including the new opening dates, is available in the letter below.
