New High School: It’s the Best Option for All

The Winthrop School Building Assistance Committee is weighing options for the future construction or renovation of our schools and the sentiment seems to be leaning toward the construction of a brand new high school on the site of the current school. There can be no disputing that our high school has outlived its usefulness as a full-scale facility and that it falls short of  embracing the technological advances available in school buildings today.

From newer, larger, and brighter classrooms, to security, safety, and handicapped accessibility issues, a new state-of-the-art school will give our students the opportunity to maximize their educational experience. Indeed, the Winthrop High facility is approaching 50 years old. In nearby Revere, where their high school is a decade younger, they too are talking of building a new high school to meet the requirements of 21st Century Learning Standards.

We’d probably recommend to our residents that they travel to other communities such as Swampscott, Everett, and Manchester and see how the whole community, and not just the students, benefits from having a beautiful new high school, which would include superior athletic facilities. Wouldn’t it be great to have a new gymnasium with multiple basketball and volleyball courts and an indoor track for students to use? Our students have excelled in statewide dramatic arts competitions even without the benefit of having a new theater/auditorium with all the best sound, stage, and lighting equipment.

If you’re a parent of a student in elementary school, how can you not be excited about the endless possibilities that await your child if a new high school is built in Winthrop? It’s an exciting time and we know that the School Building Assistance Committee is working hard and considering all the options so as to be prepared to lead our town toward the best possible solution.