Senior Class President Jacob Maurer cut the ribbon to commemorate the new East Longmeadow High School’s opening.
Reminder Publishing photo by Peter Tuohy
EAST LONGMEADOW — Members of the East Longmeadow community joined high school staff, students and state and local officials to celebrate the opening of the town’s brand-new high school and natatorium with a ribbon cutting on Oct. 15.
The $177.5 million building officially opened for the 2026-2027 school year in September, on time and on-budget. Fontaine Brothers, Inc., Skanska, SMMA and Jones Whitsett Architects led the construction and design.
Before cutting the ribbon in front of the school, crowds gathered inside the auditorium to hear speeches from those directly involved in constructing and running the new school.
School Building Committee Chair Steve Chrusciel led the ceremony and said the building took a lot of hard work by a lot of really intelligent and talented people before giving the stand to Superintendent Joanne Menard.
Menard said she is filled with overwhelming gratitude and excitement to lead the school district and a “project of this magnitude does not happen without a relentless, shared vision.”
She said the school is more than brick and mortar, it’s a launch pad for future generations.
State Treasurer and Receiver Deborah Gold complimented the auditorium, citing it as a place where students could go straight to Broadway. Gold said the new school is a pathway to the students’ futures.
State Sen. Jake Oliveira gave a shout-out to East Longmeadow voters and said projects like the high school don’t happen without voters.
He also thanked the School Building Committee for working to have the best possible outcome for students and the community.
State Rep. Brian Ashe said he is proud of the work that went into building an “absolutely spectacular building.”
“It’s something that students that used to go to East Longmeadow High School can be proud of, something that people who are here now can be proud of,” Ashe said. “People can be proud that they already live here or proud that they’re moving here, to know that their sons or daughters are going to an absolutely spectacular high school.”
State Rep. Angelo Puppolo said there isn’t anything better from a legislative or local perspective than cutting a ribbon on a new school. He said the school is something everybody can be proud of and a school that opens doors for communities.
Fontaine Brothers CEO David Fontaine Jr. said when he took the job, he knew he’d have to put together the best team possible and this project has been the company’s favorite.
He said the team coordinated over 400,000 hours of labor to deliver the project on time and the architects were responsive to everything asked of them.
ELHS Principal Frank Paige said the ceremony and building represents a community that chose to invest in students and in its future.
“For more than 60 years, the old high school was seen as a landmark in East Longmeadow,” Paige said. “Today with this new building, we honor that history. The old building gave us a tremendous foundation, but our students today learn in a very different world and they deserve a school designed for the world they are entering. This building gives our students spaces that encourage collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, innovation and connection.”
Town Manager Tom Christensen said the collaboration and a vision for a community’s future culminated into a masterpiece.
“It’s a world-class educational facility for our children to learn and grow,” Christensen said. “It’s a place where our teachers can meld the minds of the next generation of thinkers and leaders.”
The crowd moved to the outside of the building after speeches concluded and officially cut the ribbons to celebrate the school’s opening.
