Lexington School Opens New State-Of-The-Art Athletics Center

LEXINGTON, MA — A private, non-profit school in Lexington for students with special needs completed its new project of adding a new athletic center.

Founded in 1893, the Cotting School was America's first school for children with physical disabilities. The Cotting School works to enable students with special needs to achieve their highest learning potential and level of independence.

Students will now get to enjoy a new regulation-sized gymnasium, an ADA-compliant candlepin bowling alley, and a two-story fully accessible rock climbing wall.

Two new classrooms were also created for performing and visual arts, music, filmmaking, photography, and other art programs. A new social studies classroom on the lower floor provides extra space for teaching and learning.

Serving 120 students who come from more than 70 New England communities, the facility is designed to maximize educational and physical activity opportunities. The new gym will increase opportunities for Cotting students, families, faculty, and staff to get together and enjoy sports, recreation, and other activities.

"We had known for years we needed a larger, modernized, and more accessible athletic center to meet our students' and families' needs," Cotting School President and Executive Director Bridget Irish, M.B.A., S.P.H.R., said. "The new Campus Center is transforming how Cotting can meet the unique needs of students with a broad spectrum of learning and communication disabilities, physical challenges, and complex medical conditions through integrated services, including our vibrant physical education program."

The new campus center was funded through a two-year, $10 million capital campaign. Designed by ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge and built by Erland Construction Inc., Cotting is using this new gym to proceed with the next phase of renovations in effort to reconfigure occupational and physical therapy.

David W. Manzo, who retired last month after serving for 17 years as Cotting's president, said, "Cotting's board, Bridget, and I couldn't be more thankful to everyone who participated in the campaign that has made this beautiful, welcoming facility available to Cotting's students and our community. This state-of-the-art addition will increase the opportunity for more Cotting School students to grow in independence, which is central to our mission and our history."