About Killam

The J. W. Killam Elementary School was built in 1969 and currently houses kindergarten through fifth grade as well as 2 pre-school classrooms. The school itself is well maintained but has not undergone any major additions or renovations.  Killam is located on 7.28 acres of land which is abutted by two well-travelled streets, Charles Street on the west and Haverhill Street, and there are two modular classrooms which sit adjacent to the playground at the northern most part of the site.

MSBA Process

On March 2, 2022, the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) voted to invite the J. Warren Killam Elementary School into the Eligibility Period portion of their process.  Reading was thrilled to be 1 of 17 districts chosen from 118 applicants.  What a wonderful opportunity we have in front of us and we are so appreciative!  To learn more about the MSBA process, please visit their website at: Massachusetts School Building Authority (massschoolbuildings.org)
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There are 9 modules associated with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) process.  The total process, start to finish, can take upwards of 6 years.
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Our Team

Killam School Building Committee - Voting

Carla Nazzaro
Chair - School Committee
Patrick Tompkins
Vice Chair - Permanent Building Committee
Shawn Brandt
School Committee
John Coote
Permanent Building Committee
Christopher Haley
Select Board
Kirk McCormick
Permanent Building Committee
Ed Ross
Finance Committee
Gregory Stepler
Permanent Building Committee
Nancy Twomey
Permanent Building Committee

Killam School Building Committee - Non Voting

Tom Milaschewski
Superintendent
Matt Kraunelis
Town Manager
Joe Huggins
Director of Facilities
Sharon Angstrom
Chief Financial Officer
Lindsey Fulton
Principal
Joellen McGinnity
3rd Grade Teacher
Phil Littlehale
Interim Director of Finance & Operations
Jayne Wellman
Assistant Town Manager

Educational Visioning Subcommittee

In the winter of 2024, a combined 30+ participants – including Reading leadership, staff, administrators, parents, and community members – participated in a series of visioning and programming sessions led by Educational Planner, Mike Pirollo (MLP Integrated Design) and Lavallee Brensinger Architects. Each session was part of a collaborative process designed to inform the J.W. Killam Elementary School Feasibility Study and pre-design process.

Utilizing school tours, observational building walk-throughs with district leadership, program verification meetings, and visioning sessions, participants worked through a step-by-step process aimed at capturing their high-level thinking around the following key areas:

  • Educational, architectural, and community goals and priorities
  • Identification of the early child and elementary learner, including the physical, academic, and social-emotional development and needs
  • Vision of teaching and learning, including the practices, strategies, programs, and structures for a future Killam elementary experience
  • Vision of the ideal learning environment, including space types, design features, and adjacencies

The Killam School Building Committee would like to acknowledge and thank the following who were instrumental members of the Educational Visioning Committee:

JoEllen McGinnity (3rd Grade Teacher)

Katie Cole (Kindergarten Teacher)

Denise Iozzo (Para Educator)

Owner’s Project Manager - COLLIERS PROJECT LEADERS

Derek Osterman
Principal in Charge
Mike Carroll
Project Director
Shirley Ng
Project Manager
Thao Nguyen
Project Accountant

Designer - LAVALLEE BRENSINGER ARCHITECTS

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📁 Official Docs

📹 Videos

Frequently asked Questions❓

How do I stay informed about the Killam project?

Answer: We will continuously update the website as well as our social media platforms. Find us on Facebook and like the Killam School Building Project page.

If you would like to receive important messages from the town, please opt into our CodeRED community notification system via this link or the button below.

Once you get to that page you will need to create an account or login to your existing account. After entering your contact information, you can check a box for the notifications you are interested in receiving under “Additional Notifications.” For notifications specific to the building project check the box next to: “Killam School Building Project Notices”

📲 CodeRed Opt-In

Reading Public Schools

82 OAKLAND RD

READING, MA 01867

📧 Contact@KillamSchool.com

📠 (781) 942-9149
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