Agawam marks major milestone with topping-off ceremony for new high school

The town of Agawam is kicking off 2026 with a topping off ceremony for its new high school. Though there's still a few years until the project is complete there. 22 News reporter Sarah Bien-Aimé joining us live in studio with what this milestone means to that community. That's right Nick at CR, the first day back from winter break was definitely a new scenery for the high school students, staff and Agawam community members. Hundreds of construction workers spent Tuesday morning marking a major project milestone for the new Agawam High School. We really didn't start building anything until the end of July we started foundations and then it just progresses. Our existing high school is now a little over 70 years old so we're looking forward to having a new modern high school with the latest technology and this is an important step topping off the first phase of the project. The final beam was signed by multiple people in the community including the mayor who graduated from the high school in 1979. But more importantly it's signed by a lot of the students and teachers here at Agawam High School. We also provided some members of the public to come in and sign. The vote yes group is here who supported the ballot question last year they signed as well. In the summer of 2024 the Massachusetts School Building Authority approved the new high school allowing Agawam access to 96.8 million dollars in state funding. The estimated two-story building cost nearly 230 million dollars. Now the town will cover the rest with an annual tax increase just under 500 dollars over the next 30 years. We have roughly 1100 students and about 120 staff. Had we not been approved or gone further we might not have gotten another school for 20 to 25 years. By next January the students and staff will walk into two new gymnasiums a cafeteria and an auditorium. Once this is built the kids will occupy it and then we're going to take down a portion of the existing school. Once all of the construction is completed by 2028 the school will only have to worry about the logistics of managing two buildings. Now the last school that was built in Agawam was over 50 years ago and that was a junior high school. Working for you, Sarah Bien-Aimé, 22 News.