Workers hoisted the top beam onto the new addition to the Patrick J. Kennedy School in East Boston as city officials and members of the school looked on — kicking another long-awaited BPS infrastructure forward this summer.

“Our communities deserve schools that engage and inspire that our students and families can thrive in, and that’s what we’re doing here today,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “It’s what we’re doing across the city.”

Wu gathered with other city officials, BPS Superintendent Mary Skipper and teachers and families from the school to celebrate the topping-off ceremony for the addition being built onto the school and the launch of a new chapter for the community.

The East Boston school is one of 11 ongoing BPS capital facilities projects advancing this summer, part of the district’s long-term facilities plan to get rundown BPS school buildings back up to date.

The number of projects is the most facilities work the district has taken on at once in four decades, Skipper said.

“It used to be these types of events would happen every couple of years,” said Skipper Wednesday. “And now they happen every year, and multiple times a year, where we are celebrating — whether it’s the topping off for a beam raising or renovation — we’re celebrating additions and investments every day in our buildings in BPS.”

Of the projects, both the Josiah Quincy Upper School in Chinatown and the Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Charlestown will have new facilities work completed in time to welcome back students in the fall, Wu said.

The PJ Kennedy, which serves 300 students from pre-K to grade 6, will have updates finished in the current building by the start of the next school year and construction on the new addition completed by fall of 2025, officials said.

The project on the East Boston school started small, Skipper noted, but grew as more needs became apparent.

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The project will include a new AC system — replacing the old window units — new drinking fountains, accessible toilets, windows and ventilation updates, playground improvements, and refinishing the parking lot, officials detailed.

Additionally, the project was expanded to include a 3,900-square-foot addition for classrooms and office space and a new elevator critical to accessibility in the school.

Speakers emphasized that the community is in critical need of this investment. The school has a student population that is 97% high needs, 88% kids who speak English as a second language, and 81% low-income, City Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata cited from DESE data.

“Our school has always been more than just a place for learning,” said Principal Kristen Goncalves. “It’s a safe haven, a community hub and a source of inspiration for all who walk through the doors. With these renovations and additions, we are taking a monumental step towards enhancing our environment, creating a space that’s more welcoming, more inclusive and more equipped to meet the needs of our diverse student body.”

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and BPS head Mary Skipper watch the bar raising as City officials top off the renovations to the Patrick Kennedy School Wednesday. (Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)