Burncoat High gets green light for possible project funding

WORCESTER — The city is one step closer to building a new Burncoat High School, after the Massachusetts School Building Authority voted unanimously Wednesday to make the project eligible for state funding.

The vote is the first step in the process by the state agency, which helps fund public school building construction projects.

"I'm extremely grateful that this progress is being made," Superintendent Rachel H. Monárrez said on Thursday. "Burncoat High School is in much need of a new facility that will really complement the strong programming that already exists at the school."

According to the district, Burncoat High School has been proposed as a Massachusetts School Building Authority-funded project 13 times since 2008. And in the last seven attempts, the district indicated the school was its highest-priority construction project.

Monárrez said she wanted to "give kudos" to the School Committee, the mayor, city leaders, and members of the community who "leaned in ... to really push this forward."

Conversations about the condition of Burncoat High, which was constructed in 1964, and replacing it with a new building have ramped up over the years, not just at the administrative level but at the School Committee as well.

Tuesday, classes were canceled at the school that is “the district’s home high school for the performing arts and its dual language program" because of inadequate heating that resulted from some heat pumps failing. The matter was resolved and school reopened Wednesday.

Although it is not the oldest high school building in the district — that distinction goes to the University Park Campus School — Burncoat High is older compared to the district's other high schools.

Since 2006, when construction of a new Worcester Technical High School building was completed, the district has also seen the construction and opening of a new North High School in 2011 and South High Community School in 2021.

A new Doherty Memorial High School is under construction and is slated to open fall of 2024.

Monárrez said a new facility for Burncoat High means students won't have to miss a couple of days of school because issues with the heat or high temperatures.

"We'll be able to offer the basic needs every child deserves," she said. "When a building looks and feels a certain way, it tells children unconsciously, as well as consciously, that they matter. And when you matter, then you're going to rise to that occasion."

It also means accommodating a growing student population, she said, and ensuring students have adequate space to learn as well as socialize.

“I am thrilled that Burncoat High School has been accepted into the MSBA project pipeline,” Mayor Joseph M. Petty said in the release. “This is a significant first step toward a vitally important project for the Worcester Public Schools. A modernized school facility will only enhance educational opportunities and foster a more prosperous future for generations of students.”

The eligibility process will begin July 1, 2024, and last approximately nine months, during which the district will submit things like maintenance records and enrollment reports to help the MSBA determine the size and scope of the project. Following that, the district will conduct a feasibility study to design a new school and work closely with the MSBA while designing the future building.

The district said the city Public Facilities Department will oversee the project in collaboration with the school system. It's anticipated, the district said, the entire design and construction process will take about five to seven years.

“I would like to express my deep thanks and appreciation for everyone who has worked to bring a new Burncoat High School to the MSBA, including our elected officials and the administrations of the City of Worcester and Worcester Public Schools,” said Joseph Ewick, Burncoat High School principal. “A new Burncoat High School is greatly needed to ensure a high-quality experience for our students who deserve a top-notch facility.”

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Burncoat High could get funding for new building after MSBA vote