On Saturday the Excel Academy Charter School in East Boston joined members of the Friends of Excel Academy Charter Schools and other officials to cut the ribbon on Excel’s Greenway Campus extension that was recently completed and houses a new middle school.
The middle school opened in the spring and is located next to the Excel Academy Charter High School on the Bremen Street Park. Excel Academy Orient Heights was relocated from its rented space next to CVS on Saratoga Street to the new building and rebranded as Excel Academy Greenway.
“The Board is extremely excited to see what the future holds for Excel Academy,” said Chair of Excel Academy’s Board of Trustees Ben Howe, “We are thrilled to be able to continue to build and strengthen the Excel community and provide the Greenway team with a permanent home.”
The recently completed 19,500-square-foot middle school wing that was built alongside the current high school serves students in grades five through eight. The building’s first floor includes reception, administrative offices, a small child-care center for staff, and meeting space for Community Circle, the school’s social and emotional learning program. The second and third floors include classrooms, support space, administrative offices, and a teacher workroom. The new facility also features 32 parking spaces and a vehicle queuing area to accommodate student pick-up and drop-off.
Owen Stearns, the Chief Executive Officer of Excel Academy Charter Schools, expressed his gratitude to community partners including Excel’s neighbors and the East Boston branch of the Boston Public Library.
Bernabe Rodriguez, an Excel alum and current Board member added, “To be able to make a permanent home for our students and staff is a beautiful thing, and it’s definitely enlightening to see it come to fruition. Without Excel, I don’t think I would be where I am now. I believe Excel has done a great, great job with this community and I’m really glad they are still part of this community, still trying to provide resources to our families and our students and to provide a great space to learn.”
Excel’s expansion to construct a middle school to the already existing high school on Bremen Street got a boost from MassDevelopment.
MassDevelopment issued a $12 million tax-exempt bond on behalf of Friends of Excel Academy Charter Schools, Inc., a nonprofit affiliate of Excel Academy Charter Schools. The organization used bond proceeds to build and equip the three-story addition to the high school.
“This building provides many new opportunities to our students and staff; including providing us with bright and welcoming community spaces for the school’s community to learn and thrive in and the ability to open a daycare for staff.” said school leader Nina Samulenosn.
Rep. Adrian Madaro, whose mother Debra Cave was a founding board member of Excel, commented, “It was great to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Excel Academy’s new campus. Congratulations to the teachers, students, staff and school leaders who will enjoy it for years to come.”