Wellesley Public Schools invites the public to say Farewell to Hunnewell Elementary School on June 15 from 5-7pm. The open house will give you a last chance to visit classrooms, leave a message, or soak in other memories.

My personal favorite memory is recalling how the gym teacher used to tell our kids “no running!” (I guess that preserved their legs so that they could run cross country and track as they got older.)

The Hunnewell Elementary School, built in 1938, is being razed and replaced with a new structure slated to open in early 2024. Construction begins this summer. In the meantime, staff and students will be divvied up among other schools under a swing space plan come fall. More on the school construction plans.

The new building will house 18 classrooms over 76,500 sq. ft. of space, and will pave the way, along with a new Hardy Elementary School, for the elimination of Upham Elementary School. That will reduce the number of public elementary schools in town from seven to six.

Voters approved funds for construction of the schools in December of 2021.