Lowell Special Ed Subcommittee Gets Update on John Daly Building Consolidation Plans

LOWELL — April 29, 2025 — Lowell's Special Education Subcommittee heard that the district's autism day school program is at or near full capacity across two sites, with roughly 84 students enrolled. Administrators told the three-member subcommittee that the John Daly building — which has approximately 21 classrooms and a license for students ages preK through 22 — is the intended consolidation site, but that elevator installation and other accessibility work must be completed first; a joint facilities subcommittee meeting on June 17 is expected to produce a construction timeline. Caseloads were described as high across the department, with evaluation team chairpersons collectively carrying rosters of more than 350 students and a speech-language pathologist position added in September still unfilled. Administrators said Mass General Hospital psychiatrists Dr. David Rubin and Dr. Mona Potter are contracted to provide autism-focused training for CSA paraprofessionals and special education teachers, starting with the preK through grade one group.