Frequently asked
questions

Now that construction has started on the Killam site, this website and the project's social media channels are updated monthly, after each Building Committee meeting. Meeting dates are posted on the project calendar and the Town of Reading KSBC page.

• Follow the Town of Reading or Killam School Building Project Facebook pages.
• Opt into CodeRED community notifications — abutters are notified of updates to surrounding areas.

The Town of Reading, in partnership with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), is building a new J. Warren Killam Elementary School at 333 Charles Street. The existing school was built in 1969 and has never had a major addition or renovation. In 2025 Town Meeting approved the funding article, voters passed a debt-exclusion ballot question, and the MSBA approved its grant — and construction is now underway.

The preliminary project schedule published in April 2025 targets move-in for February 2028, with substantial completion of building construction in December 2027 and final site completion (including removal of the existing 1969 building) by fall 2028. These are preliminary targets — the current schedule is reviewed at each monthly Building Committee meeting.

The existing building opened in 1969 and, while well maintained, has not undergone any major additions or renovations in over five decades. The school sits on 7.28 acres between Charles Street and Haverhill Street and relies on two modular classrooms next to the playground. The project's Physical Need video and the feasibility study documents detail the building's condition.

The Massachusetts School Building Authority is a state agency that partners with districts on school construction and reimburses a portion of eligible costs. Its process has nine modules and can take upwards of six years start to finish. On March 2, 2022 the MSBA invited Killam into its Eligibility Period — Reading was one of 17 districts chosen from 118 applicants. See the project timeline for how Killam has moved through each stage, or visit massschoolbuildings.org.

Three approvals in 2025 funded the project: Town Meeting approved the funding article, Reading voters passed a debt-exclusion vote, and the MSBA approved its grant. The Town Accountant's tax impact calculator shows the impact for residents, and detailed financial information appears in meeting packets.

The Killam School Building Committee — nine voting members drawn from the School Committee, Permanent Building Committee, Select Board and Finance Committee, plus non-voting town and school officials — oversees the project. Colliers Project Leaders serves as Owner's Project Manager and Lavallee Brensinger Architects is the designer. Meet the full team on the Team page.

Construction activity, deliveries and any site-access changes are shared in monthly updates after each Building Committee meeting. Abutters are notified of impacts through the CodeRED notification system — opt in here. Traffic studies from the design phase are available in the Document Center.

Every Building Committee meeting since July 2022 is archived on the Meetings page with its packet and minutes, and recordings are collected in the Video Center. RCTV also broadcasts committee meetings.

The new school is being built on the existing 7.28-acre site while the current building remains in place; the existing building is removed after the new school opens. For questions about day-to-day school operations during construction, contact the Superintendent's Office at (781) 944-5800.