HATHORNE — Superintendent-Director Heidi Riccio is delighted to share that Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School received a $750,000 private grant that will be used to upgrade infrastructure in Gallant Hall. 

The funding will be used to upgrade the HVAC system and to make other infrastructure upgrades to the building, which was built in 1972.

Students made significant renovations to the building over the summer thanks to a $150,000 grant from the Cummings Foundation, but the building still needs significant upgrades to its HVAC system. Those upgrades will now be completed by having HVAC students work with professional contractors, creating an opportunity for students to participate in the project once again.

The renovation of Gallant Hall is part of a larger effort aimed at creating more space for students to attend Essex Tech by expanding the school’s South Campus. 

Since the renovations this summer, Gallant Hall serves as the school’s STEAM Academy, housing technical programs including Design and Media Communications, Engineering Technology, Information Support Services and Networking, as well as an Electro-Mechanical Assembly Lab.  

“The expansion of Gallant Hall has been an on-going process pending appropriate funding, including grants and operational funds,” said Superintendent-Director Riccio. “This private grant of $750,000 will help improve the HVAC system, and the work will be done collaboratively with our HVAC students and contractors. Through this generous gift, we anticipate a continued expansion of our South Campus.”

“This funding will allow us to extend our mission of bringing academic, agricultural, and technical excellence to our current and future students,” said STEAM Academy Coordinator Tony DiLuna. “Our STEAM Academy in this our first year is already looking for new ways to explore learning connections between the program areas, and this grant will allow us to make critical upgrades to HVAC systems in Gallant that are essential for this ongoing expansion.”