SAUGUS — The town will participate in a special referendum for a new $317.4 million building for Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School (Northeast Metro Tech) on Jan. 25 as one of the 12 sending communities.
The opportunity to approve plans for a new state-of-the-art school building later this month was announced by Superintendent–Director David DiBarri and the Northeast Metro Tech Building Committee. At its current capacity, the school located at 100 Hemlock Rd. in Wakefield can only accept 41 percent of applicants each year.
“Northeast Metro Tech’s goal is to help every student reach their full potential and to find employment in high-paying, high-demand jobs upon graduation,” said DiBarri. “All of the work that has gone into developing this proposed project and presenting it to our communities for approval has been done with those core goals in mind.”
The project is estimated to cost $317.4 million. The required investment will be partially covered by a $140.8 million grant from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) awarded to the district in August 2021. The remaining cost would be shared by the sending communities through the issuance of a 30-year construction bond, starting in the fiscal year 2026.
About 1,300 students are currently enrolled in the Northeast Metro Tech career technical education programs and another 1,300 post-graduates and adults benefit from its night or weekend training programs to advance their careers.
The facility built in 1968 has outlived its intended lifespan, according to the Northeast Metro Tech’s administration. The building does not comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations, its systems are outdated and students have to share overcrowded classrooms and shops.
For more than four years, a team made up of Northeast Metro Tech administration, members of school committees from all 12 communities that the school serves and construction experts has been developing a plan for a new building that would be cost effective and fiscally responsible. The team has worked in partnership with officials in the sending communities, listening to suggestions and concerns.
The new school will feature 21st-century learning environments, expanded program offerings, improved Individualized Education Program (IEP) accommodations, state-of-the-art shop space, a 750-seat auditorium, a full-size gym, a new cafeteria, outdoor space for learning and a new primary-access roadway from Farm Street to reduce traffic congestion. The compact, four-story building will have a double-height library rotunda.
With sustainability in mind, the project is targeting LEED Silver+ certification with energy-efficient mechanical systems, provisions for solar panels, and vegetated roofs.
Corinne Riley, member of the Board of Selectmen, said that she was glad that the decision would be made by voters via a special election.
“I would like to see this project pass,” said Riley, adding that her son benefited immensely by attending Northeast Metro Tech. “It is definitely outdated, but it is extremely important for those who seek another profession that they wouldn’t get if they weren’t the kind of a student to do well in college.”
She said that it is a tough time for taxpayers to want another increase taken from their income as the cost of everything has gone up significantly and people are hurting during this time in a pandemic. But the percentage given by MSBA was a great deal, Riley said, since the cost of making a vocational school has to be extremely expensive for all of the hands-on equipment needed for different vocations.
“Unfortunately, the new Saugus High doesn’t have any shops to offer,” said Riley.
The MSBA grant offer is subject to a deadline to accept or decline. In case voters do not approve the new building, the school district will have to start the multi-year MSBA process from the beginning, which would delay construction by several years.
The polling will take place on Jan. 25 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Saugus Senior Center at 466 Central St. Questions about the referendum should be directed to the Town Clerk.
