Freetown Elementary School
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Principal | Mr. Robert L. Frizelle |
|---|---|
| Established | 1949 |
| School type | Public |
| Grades | PreK - 4 |
| Student body | Coeducational |
| Opened | September 11, 1950 |
| Location | East Freetown, Mass., USA |
| Enrollment 1 | 530 |
| Faculty 1 | 35 |
| Campus | Rural |
| Mascot | Fred E. Scorch (a dragon) |
| Newspaper | none |
| Yearbook | none |
| Homepage | http://www.freelake.org/FES/ |
Freetown Elementary School opened in 1950 and serves grammar school students from the town of Freetown, Massachusetts.
[edit] History
The Town of Freetown, Massachusetts operated between eight and one dozen small school districts throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, and well into the 20th century. These schoolhouses were typically of one or two rooms, were heated by woodstoves, and featured outhouses as their only form of plumbing. As part of the town's post-war planning, it was decided to construct a centrally-located elementary school for all the town's students. The central location was considered critical so as not to favor either of the town's villages (Assonet and East Freetown) as the two were historically strong rivals.
Israel T. Almy of Boston was selected as the architect, and the school was constructed from 1949 - 1950. The eight-room grammar school replaced all the town's schoolhouses when opened in 1950. It housed grades 1-8 until 1972, when grades 5-8 moved to the new George R. Austin Middle School (now the Freetown-Lakeville Middle School). Kindergarten and preschool programs have also been added, bringing the current gradespan to PreK-4.
The building has been extensively remodeled and expanded, most recently in 1999-2002, and prior to that in at least 1965. A new gymnasium was constructed in 1965, and replaced in 2002, leaving the original gymnasium/auditorium to function solely as an auditorium. As a result of this space, the school is now home to Freetown's town meetings.
In 2005, the school was the focus of a $500,000 budget cut, putting the future of the facility's arts program, library, and its more physically vital services (nurse, janitors) in jeopardy.
Also of note is the Ted Just Memorial Field, a baseball field constructed on the front yard facing Bullock Road in memory of a fourth grade teacher who died in 1992.
[edit] School information
Freetown Elementary School
43 Bullock Road
E. Freetown, MA 02717
Phone: (508) 763-5121
Website: Freetown Elementary School
