Greenfield Center School gets $7.9M bond from MassDevelopment to finance new building

July 17, 2020 : The Republican, by Jim Kinney

GREENFIELD — The Greenfield Center School plans to relocate to a brand new building next year with help from a $7.94 million tax-exempt bond announced Friday by MassDevelopment.

The independent day school serving students in preschool through eighth grade plans to buy 30 acres of land at 741-743 Bernardston Road (Routes 5 and 10), not far from Stoneleigh-Burnham School, a private school for girls in grades seven through 12.

Greenfield Center School will demolish one of two existing buildings on the new site and build and equip a 23,678-square-foot structure in its place. The school’s current location is 71 Montague City Road.

GSB Securities Corp., an affiliate of Greenfield Savings Bank, purchased the bond.

The Greenfield Planning Board approved the project in February, according to meeting minutes (PDF).

The project is estimated to cost $10 million, according to consultants working on it.

“MassDevelopment is pleased to help finance a new home for Greenfield Center School,” agency President and CEO Lauren Liss said in a statement. “This modern facility and surrounding campus will offer students an enhanced educational experience and plenty of space to explore, learn, and grow.”

Construction is expected to be completed in the summer of 2021.

According to a news release, Greenfield Center School was founded in 1981 under the umbrella of Northeast Foundation for Children. The two organizations separated into independent entities in 2001.

Today, the school serves approximately 137 students from Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, with a one-to-seven teacher-student ratio.

Greenfield Center School identifies its educational programming as emergent, constructivist, social justice-oriented, child-centered and nature-focused, with an emphasis on hands-on learning and outdoor play.

“The educational landscape has changed forever,” Head of School Charlie Spencer said in a statement. “What a perfect time to respond by building our dream school.”

MassDevelopment is the state’s finance and development agency.