The New School Project: Macero Speaks of the Exciting Possibilities

How can you not be excited about the new middle school/high school project after listening to Superintendent of Schools John Macero speak so enthusiastically  about the proposal at the Chamber of Commerce meeting Tuesday?  If you weren’t able to attend, WCAT executive director Mike Cabral was on hand to videotape the presentation for broadcast on the station.

Macero said the new school would be built on the site where the current high school now stands. There would be separate entrances for middle school and high school students, along with separate cafeterias. Plans call for a new and much larger gymnasium, a beautiful state-of-the-auditorium, a meeting room that could potentially be used by local organizations, and a Life Skills Center to continue the great work that Chris Donnelly has done with his program. The Wallace McClean tennis courts located across the street from the high school would be relocated, resulting in additional parking spaces. And Miller Field – which has withered to the point where our high school track program cannot hold meets at the facility — would have a brand new stadium and track.

Macero said the town is right now looking at 54 percent reimbursement from the state, but that number could escalate to 61 percent if certain criteria are met. He was right on the mark when he said that Winthrop students aren’t just competing with students in the area or in the state — they’re competing against the world’s student population. And if Winthrop is to give our students every opportunity to compete for spots in colleges and in the job market (another great feature of the new school is that there will be area set aside for vocational training), then we must have a 21st century school in our town.

Can you imagine the pride a parent will have if one day he/she can drop off their two children, one to enter a brand new middle school and the other to enter a brand new high school, and know in his/heart that their child is getting the best educational opportunities  in the healthiest and most environmentally-sound building possible?

Macero said the proposal will come before the voters on the ballot in September or more likely, November. If you’re not convinced that Winthrop would be better off with the proposal that our School Building Assistance Committee has worked hard to produce, we urge you to watch the WCAT broadcast of our outstanding superintendent’s remarks and presentation.