A new Edison Elementary School is coming soon to Erie’s east side.
The superintendent of the Erie School District said the project is the culmination of phase one of their facilities plan.
“Really to designed to keep all of our buildings warm, safe, and dry,” said Brian Polito, superintendent of Erie’s public schools. “We just came off of 10 years of a financial crisis and we incurred a lot of deferred maintenance and as a result, as we looked at this building, we determined that it was more cost-effective to go ahead and build a new building.”
Diane Sutton, principal of Edison Elementary, said she was a part of the planning process for the new building.
“It’s all about the children and the commitment to the lower east side of Erie. As Superintendent Polito said in his remarks, it’s long overdue and the children feel that and so again we end with gratitude because here we are today,” said Sutton.
Sutton added the new school will provide designated areas for different activities.
“One space for our gymnasium, cafeteria and auditorium. And again you heard Superintendent Polito say no more to that. The children will be able to have physical education in the gym all day long, not just around the lunch schedule,” she said.
Polito said the building is not designed for current educational needs and will be torn down and used in part with the new school.
“That’s where some of the parking is going to be and some of our new playground area,” Polito went on to say.
He also said about $200 million has been spent over the last several years upgrading their buildings. The district hopes to have kids in the new building by next fall.
