HAVERHILL — Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School has announced what it would cost taxpayers in each of its 11 sending communities to pay for a proposed new $446 million school building if the project is approved.
Officials are also announcing the schedule for public information sessions to be held over the coming months.
A district-wide ballot question is scheduled for Jan. 23 across all 11 of Whittier’s sending communities and would require a simple majority of votes, 50% plus one, in order for the project to move forward, according to Haverhill Mayor James Fiorentini.
“I’m going to be very much in favor of a new school building,” Fiorentini said, adding Haverhill students make up about 70% of Whittier’s student population, therefore Haverhill can expect to pay the lion’s share of the project.
Whittier has been collaborating with the Massachusetts School Building Authority since 2016 to explore options for a new school project, school officials said. The building, opened in 1973, faces costly maintenance and structural challenges, along with required code upgrades, they said, and no longer meets the needs of a 21st-century career-technical education.
Whittier officials said the MSBA reimbursement rate is 62.66% of eligible costs, subject to limitation caps on said eligible costs. This rate is subject to change slightly at the time of formal MSBA approval, which will occur on Dec. 13.
Haverhill can expect to bear the brunt of the cost, $242 million after state reimbursement, according to school officials. That cost would translate into $301 a year for 34 years for the owner of the average valued home of $450,000 in Haverhill. Annual payments would begin in 2025, school officials said.
In June, Haverhill voters approved a debt exclusion to pay for a new $160 million Consentino School. After state reimbursement, the city will need to borrow about $78 million and the owner of the average valued home can expect to pay $220 a year for 30 years.
In Groveland, the owner of an average valued home of $575,000 can expect to pay $299 a year for 34 years to pay for a new Whittier Tech school building.
Whittier’s other sending communities are Amesbury, Georgetown, Ipswich, Merrimac, Newbury, West Newbury, Rowley, Newburyport and Salisbury. If voters approve funding a new Whittier Tech, the annual cost to the average homeowner would range from a low of $153 in Salisbury to a high of $395 in Georgetown.
Planning for a new school
Since January 2022, Whittier’s Building Committee has been exploring various building options, including code upgrades, renovation/addition, and new construction. After thorough analysis, it was determined that constructing a new facility is the optimal and cost-effective solution, school officials said.
The approved preferred option is a three-story, W-shaped building situated on the Whittier campus. The first two floors will accommodate vocational, specialty, support, and community programs, while academic classes will find their home on the third floor. Importantly, the project includes the replacement of athletic fields, with no impact on the stadium.
Pending approvals, construction would commence in the spring 2025, with occupancy planned for September 2028.
A yes vote: building project passes (3 years for construction, 1 year for restoration after building opens).
A no vote: move ahead with a required code-compliance upgrade, which would take at least 10 years to complete alongside students learning. There would be no reimbursement from the state under this option. The district’s anticipated cost would be $364 million, with the immediate required projects including a sprinkler suppression system, $12,100,000; wastewater treatment plant $11,700,000, and secondary access road for emergency access, $11,400,000.
Information sessions slated
Sunday, Nov. 5 – Annual Whittier Tech open house, 1 to 4 p.m. Eighth-grade students and member communities are invited to each year to learn more about the school and its offerings.
Saturday, Jan. 13 – Whittier Tech current building tour, 9 to 11 a.m. This is an opportunity for community members to tour the building and learn more about the project.
Informational meetings per district scheduled to date are:
Amesbury: Tuesday, Dec. 12 – Community Information Session, Amesbury Council on Aging, 68 Elm St., 6 to 8 p.m.
Georgetown: Wednesday, Nov. 1 – Community Information Session, Georgetown Peabody Library, 2 Maple St., 6 to 8 p.m.
Groveland: Saturday, Nov. 18 – Community Information Session, Langley-Adams Library, 185 Main St., 10 a.m. to noon.
Haverhill: Wednesday, Nov. 29 – Community Information Session, Haverhill Public Library, 99 Main St., 6 to 8 p.m.
Ipswich: Monday, Nov. 20 – Community Information Session, Ipswich Public Library, 25 N. Main St., 6 to 7:45 p.m.
Merrimac: Wednesday, Nov. 8 – Community Information Session, Merrimac Public Library, 86 W. Main St., 6 to 8 p.m.
Newbury: Tuesday, Nov. 14 – Presentation, Newbury Board of Selectmen, Town Hall, 12 Kent Way, 6 to 9 p.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 20 – Community Information Session, Newbury Public Library, 0 Lunt St., Byfield, 5 to 7 p.m.
Newburyport: Monday, Nov. 27 – Community Information Session, Newburyport Senior/Community Center, 331 High St., 6 to 8 p.m.
Rowley: Tuesday, Oct. 24 – Community Information Session, Rowley Public Library, 141 Main St., 6 to 8 p.m.; Monday, Oct. 30 – Presentation, Rowley Board of Selectmen, Town Hall, 139 Main St., 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Salisbury: Tuesday, Dec. 5 – Community Information Session, Salisbury Public Library, 17 Elm St., 6 to 8 p.m.
West Newbury: Wednesday, Dec. 6 – Community Information Session, West Newbury Town Hall, 381 Main St., 6 to 8 p.m.
Additional information sessions are expected to be announced.
Those interested in attending a meeting are asked to sign up on the Whittier Tech Building Project website, buildingthefutureofwhittier.org.