Westfield Technical Academy
Reminder Publishing file photo
WESTFIELD — At a special meeting on Jan. 29, the School Committee unanimously endorsed a motion to authorize Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski to complete a statement of interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority for the replacement of Westfield Technical Academy with the option of consolidation into one high school to replace both high schools.
The statement of interest is due by April 11, and must be approved by the City Council before that date.
The motion followed a presentation by Czaporowski on the physical needs of both Westfield High School, built in 1973, and Westfield Technical Academy, whose upper campus was built in 1931, lower campus in 1962 and the connector in 1994. He said WTA needs to be replaced, and WHS needs to be refurbished or replaced.
He said the SOI application has to be for one school, but could leave open the opportunity for consolidation of the two schools. When the city applied for the new elementary school, they put in the application for Franklin Avenue, but the desire was to combine both Abner Gibbs and Franklin Avenue. “But we only put in for Franklin. When they came for the feasibility study, they (MSBA) said yes, they both need to be replaced.”
Czaporowski said the city has invested in Westfield High School over the last few years, putting in new exterior doors, upgrades to the main and gymnasium entrances with a new vestibule, and many other improvements, listing among others the pool, tennis courts and science labs, which are almost done.
He said recent investments made at WTA include the upper campus paving project, the weight room upgrade, student services office updates, Capital skills grants for the building and equipment, a new telephone and intercom system, front entrance concrete project in partnership with MassDOT, and new exterior doors and windows.
The list of needs at WTA are long, including a lack of space to add new programs and an enrollment at or near maximum capacity with an annual waiting list of 40 to 60 students, while enrollment at WHS has been declining.
Czaporowski also talked about the opportunity for consolidation, citing the shrinking enrollment at WHS and the increased enrollment at WTA. He said consolidating the schools would increase academic and career opportunities for students, eliminate the waiting list at WTA and allow the district to add more career technical and innovation pathway programs. He said there would also be financial savings in operating one less school.
“What we really need are two new schools, but the probability is low,” Czaporowski told the School Committee. “If you build the Westfield Technical Academy, build it bigger, or build a consolidated school and eliminate the waiting list. Where do we go from here? That’s up to you.”
Mayor Michael McCabe, who chairs the School Committee, said the purpose of the meeting was to decide what direction to go in. “At this point, you make a compelling argument — what say you,” he asked committee members.
“I’m fully on board with the idea of a hybrid high school,” said Jeffrey Gunther. He said there is the opportunity for students to cross-pollinate across programs and be more adaptive, and there is the operational impact of having one building. “We operate inefficiently in some ways — because we have to. I think we have to go forward now, if our interest is what’s best for the school and the kids, it’s clear we need to go forward.”
Bo Sullivan mentioned the concern from the business community of a comprehensive school that traditionally has half-day academics and half-day career technical education which could interfere with the cooperative education model of one week academics, one week CTE.
Czaporowski said that is why he is promoting a hybrid model that would frontload half-day academics for freshmen and sophomores, and return to an AB week model for juniors and seniors, to allow for co-ops.
Sullivan asked if any other school in the state is on the hybrid model, and Czaporowski said he is not aware of any.
“I would never want to do anything that would hurt the businesses or take away from them. I walk into both high schools regularly — I think we could do better for our kids,” Czaporowski said.
Heather Sullivan said the business community would be getting a whole student, a well-rounded person. “With the amount of progress that school [WTA] has made, I think a little bit of trust is in order. With that said, I think we go forward now. If we think education is this important, we need to make it look like it is,” she said.
Czaporowski said if they can only afford to build a new technical academy, they could apply for accelerated repair for Westfield High School in the future. “If I put in just for Westfield Technical Academy, and put in the opportunity for consolidation, that doesn’t mean they’re going to listen, it means they’re going to do a feasibility study,” he said.
Committee member Bo Sullivan said, “Let’s face reality. It’s a technical high school, and the state has already said they’re looking for more seats in technical high schools.”
Czaporowski agreed that the consolidation opportunity and more potential career technical seats would bump Westfield up in the MSBA’s consideration.
McCabe said he sat at the State of the State address, and in conversations with people about what model is the best to submit to the MSBA, he heard that the MSBA is much more inclined to fund a technical school at the outset, with a hybrid opportunity moving forward.
McCabe also talked about the city’s share of building a school that could cost anywhere from $300 to $400 million. He loosely estimated the city’s share at anywhere from $100 million at the low end to over $200 million over 30 years. “That’s not to say I’m not in favor,” he said.
“If I understand correctly, if you apply for a technical academy, their clear inclination is to fund technical schools. If we believe that we’re either going to put up WTA or WHS and to have one or the other have a shot — it’s WTA all day,” McCabe said, adding, “I would be in favor of moving forward with the tech academy, and hopefully that turns into the hybrid school we’re looking for.”
Czaporowski also talked about the potential for students in other districts coming to a brand new technical school in Westfield, which could increase tuition income.
“I totally support going forward with the Westfield Technical Academy. When I first came on board, I thought it would be Westfield High School, but after seeing WTA, I was blown away that we allow students in there,” said Kathleen Hillman.
School Committee member Timothy O’Connor asked if Czaporowski had the time to do the SOI.
Czaporowski said he had already started, but wasn’t sure about the timing to get it to the City Council, which has to approve it. He said he’s also doing the budget preparation process. “I don’t mind doing the SOI on weekends and during February vacation,” he said.
McCabe said he would get together with City Council President John Beltrandi on the best entry into the council to meet the deadline.
“I’m still concerned about the funding, and we have not talked about that at all,” O”Connor said, adding he was going to support the motion for an SOI with the opportunity for consolidation, although he had some doubts. “I’m not sure I’m fully invested in a blended high school,” he said.
Czaporowski said when the MSBA receives the statement of interest, they could say no to a blended school, and only approve building a technical school.
