Preferred Design for New Whittier Tech Approved by Massachusetts School Building Authority

Superintendent Maureen Lynch and the Whittier Tech School Committee are pleased to announce that the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) has approved its preferred design for a new school building.

The MSBA Board of Directors unanimously approved the design on Wednesday, April 26.

“This is certainly a significant milestone for the project," Superintendent Lynch said. "There is still much work to be done in the next year, but the MSBA’s support is a major step forward.”

Whittier Tech has worked with the MSBA since 2016 to develop a vision for a new school building. The current building, which opened in 1973, welcomes 1,200 students and prepares them for careers in 23 pathways in fields of Arts and Communication, Construction, Manufacturing, Service, Technology, and Transportation.

The building faces numerous costly maintenance and structural challenges, and is no longer equipped to deliver a 21st century career technical education and prepare students for success post-graduation.

Whittier first approached MSBA in 2016. MSBA partners with school districts and communities to support the design and construction of educationally appropriate, flexible, sustainable, and cost-effective public-school facilities. MSBA authorized a feasibility study for Whittier in 2021.

The Building Committee has been meeting since January 2022 to consider all building options, including code upgrades, renovation and addition, and new construction. A qualitative analysis of multiple options determined that constructing a new building was the best and most cost-effective path.

The preferred option is a three-story, W-shaped building on the current Whittier campus. Vocational, specialty, support, and community programs will be placed on the first two floors, with academic classes on the third floor. The campus would be reimagined with athletic fields, tennis and basketball courts, and baseball/softball fields. The current stadium will remain.

This option is projected to cost $404.8 million, with a District share of $279 million after projected state reimbursement. A renovation/addition option was projected to cost $440.6 million, with a District share of $302.1 million after state reimbursement, and would be expected to take six years to complete.

District leaders have shaved more than $17 million off the initial projected cost since the proposal was approved by the School Building Committee in February, in recognition of its obligation to provide the most cost-effective plan possible to its 11 member communities.

The District anticipates seeking community approval of this proposed project in the winter/spring of 2023-2024. The process will include a number of public forums during which community stakeholders may offer feedback and ask questions.