Peabody approaching vocational merger with caution

PEABODY – Mayor Michael Bonfanti reassured School Committee members Tuesday that he is cautiously proceeding when making decisions regarding the regional vocational merger.”Before we make any type of final decision, we have to make sure it makes dollars and cents for residents,” said Bonfanti, adding that a special meeting will be devoted to the topic alone.Bonfanti has been a strong advocate of the proposed merger.”Not all of our kids are going to college,” he said honestly. “We have to give them the best education possible.”The regional merger would be a first for the North Shore. At a cost of $140 million, it would combine three schools: Essex Agricultural and Technical High School in Danvers, North Shore Technical High School in Middleton, and the vocational school at Peabody Veterans Memorial High School, all of which have been in need of large scale renovations.School Committee member Dave McGeney said that the merger would be better for Peabody for a number of reasons. He listed the inadequacy of the current facility, the impracticality of just modifying equipment, and the need for skilled workers in the area as the reasons for such a merger.”The North Shore is the only area that doesn’t have a regional vocational school,” said McGeney. “We’re overdue for our bite of the apple.”School Committee member Beverly Anne Griffin Dunne showed concern over the possible loss of vocational programs for Peabody High School students. She hopes that some would remain as electives.”The world is changing,” Bonfanti responded. “And we need to provide good technological education.” Whether the school would still offer a select few courses has not been determined.The process has been ongoing since the commissioner of education proposed ideas of a merger in 1999 as a more affordable option to expensive renovations. Shortly after, the Legislature approved funding for studies on the project’s potential, which were a success.The new school would house 1,400 students on its 180-acre lot of land located across the street from the current Essex Aggie campus on Maple Street in Danvers. The merger would allow for an increase in enrollment and offer additional programs. Biotechnology, dental assisting, plumbing, HVAC repair, and hospitality management are just a handful of new areas of study that students could explore.”We can’t afford to go another 10 years for our students,” said McGeney. “We need to light a fire under this.”