HAVERHILL — Superintendent Maureen Lynch is today providing an update to the Whittier Regional School District and its students, faculty, staff, and 11 member cities and towns on the status of the Whittier Tech Building Project.
Following the vote of the district, in accordance with Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) policy, the district formally notified the Commonwealth of the failed vote within the 10-day mandatory reporting window. This notification triggered a meeting between Whittier and MSBA leadership.
Superintendent Lynch met Wednesday with the MSBA where she verbally requested an extension to pursue alternative solutions, as is standard procedure. Superintendent Lynch highlighted feedback from community leaders that are believed to have contributed to the ballot vote, including the ongoing capital needs of the district’s cities and towns, concerns regarding the existing regional agreement, communications between Whittier and the communities and their leaders, and the overall costs associated with the new building project.
Consistent with MSBA policy, Whittier was given two choices: Either hold a second election on the same project before April 11, or withdraw its statement of interest and exit the school building program at this time.
As was made clear from the start, the MSBA will not allow any changes or cuts to the existing project. The first option involves conducting another district election — on the same project, with the same costs — before April 11 to remain compliant with the 120-day MSBA deadline.
This option was not surprising, as Superintendent Lynch and the Committee had been told by MSBA and as they had communicated to city and town leaders, no changes could be made to the project once final MSBA approval was given
The second and more likely option results in Whittier withdrawing its Statement of Interest and removing Whittier from the MSBA capital pipeline. This would effectively mean starting over, and it would likely be several more years before Whittier can reapply with a new Statement of Interest. There is no guarantee of acceptance into the program once again.
Facing the loss of MSBA funding under option two, Whittier would then form a strategic plan to address the maintenance issues of the existing school building in a triage order starting with the building’s most serious problems. This process necessitates a thorough evaluation of all systems and careful prioritization of the next steps for replacement and/or rehabilitation, acknowledging the complexity and significance of these decisions.
The options will be discussed, and next steps are expected to be decided at the next scheduled meeting of the Whittier Tech Regional School Committee on Feb. 13.
“We are meeting with leaders and stakeholders in each of the 11 district communities next week to gather feedback and discuss the two available options,” Superintendent Lynch said. “Given the considerable investment of time and funding in the feasibility study, we want to ensure the School Committee is making the right decisions moving forward.
“Once the Regional School Committee reaches a decision, we will promptly share the information with all stakeholders involved. We encourage all those who are interested to attend these public meetings. Thank you for your continued support and patience as we work toward ensuring the best educational programming for our high school students, adult leaders, and the entire school community.”
