Interviews:
Read about Richard Hankinson (1951-1956)
Read about teacher, Annette Gibavic (1964-1984)
Read about Scott Merzbach (1976 - 1983)
Read about Caitlan Abrams Freund (1990-1994)
A Brief History
The first official step in building the present school took place when the Town Meeting of February 3, 1946 appointed a Special Investigating Committee on a Consolidated School. At a Special Town Meeting in December 1946 the fine work of this committee was recognized when the voters followed its recommendations and authorized the purchase of the present site, the hiring of an achitect, the preparation of plans, and work on certain financial details. With the addition of the Selectmen and the Superintendent of Schools, this Committee was reappointed the Leverett Consolidated School Building Committee.
There followed a period of two and a half years during which the Building Committee was hard at work on the architectural, legal, financial, and other plans necessary for such a building.
Bids were secured in the summer of 1949 and on August 6th the voters of Leverett gave their overwhelming approval for the necessary funds. Construction started immediately. Everyone took a personal interest in the building from the first bulldozer to the final piece of equipment. In September of 1950 the books and papers were gathered up from the four out-dated wooden schools and the pupils of Leverett entered as fine a rural school as exists in America. Since then many details have been completed and final papers filed for the State Construction Grant. This new Leverett Consolidated School stands a fitting monument to the vision, hard work, sacrifice, and a belief in the youth of America of the Citizens of Leverett.
November 10, 1951
1951 - the first class
1952 - picture day
-graduation program - 1953
Playbill - 1956
Leverett School &endash; 1950-2001
In 1950, pupils in Leverett entered "as fine a rural school as exists in America." Architecturally handsome, its most noteworthy inclusion was that of both a gymnasium and a cafeteria. Having only two grades in a room with one teacher was vastly different than one teacher having eight grades in one room.
However, this was a period of growth in the area, with the University of Massachusetts expanding to meet the needs of returning veterans. Many large old homes in Leverett were available, new homes were being built and a new school was a definite attraction. As Leverett's population increased, so did the number of students, and in 1955 the first wing was added. At the same time, grades 7 and 8 went to the Amherst Junior High School. The result was that for the first time, there was a classroom for each grade.
Educational changes brought about different space needs. Kindergarten, initially half day, became full day. Auxiliary services, some mandated by the new special education law, meant additional personnel &endash; classroom aides, speech teacher, psychologist, more hours for physical education, music, art, nurse, etc. In 1976 another addition relieved the now-crowded classrooms.
It was apparent that the basic building could not support any further additions. Talks of new construction and tentative plans were increasingly floated, and repeatedly rejected at town meetings throughout the 80's. In desperation, two portable classrooms were installed on the parking lot in 1992.
The goal to resolve the building issue by the 50th anniversary of the original school, thus removing the deteriorating portables, brought yet another architectural plan. This plan not only solved space problems, but as importantly, solved movement and communication problems, bringing the building to fill current needs and to accommodate future growth. The town voted this plan. The newly expanded Leverett Elementary School opens in September, 2001.
-Annette Gibavic
June, 2001
