New School Vote Reflects Well on Our Leaders

Winthrop’s overwhelming support of the new school project not only affirmed that it was time to build a new state-of-the-art middle/high school, but the vote underlined the confidence residents have in the leadership of this town and the improved status of the town’s financial picture.

It begins with Town Manager James McKenna who brought a style of professional leadership to town government that has resonated well with residents. McKenna understood the importance of the new school project to the town’s future. He made the treks to Ipswich and Beverly and saw what major school projects meant to the advancement of those communities.

Town Council President Peter Gill was a supporter of the school project from the outset and he made it a point to thank the 21 members of the School Building Assistance Committee (led by Mary Lou Osborne and Peter Dockendorff) and the Winthrop Is Worth  It Committee who did a great job holding coffee hours and informational sessions to promote the new school project.

Superintendent of Schools John Macero also deserves credit for it is he who is leading the tremendous strides and academic progress that our school district has made during his time in office. With a brand new middle/high school in the future, Macero can now plan ahead for the advantages and resources that a new school building will create for our students.

There also were unsung contributors to the passage of the new school referendum. Town Councillor James Letterie, a member of the SBAC, posted the new school plans and information poster at his store, Letterie’s Italian Market, and that certainly helped residents get a closer look at the proposal. The new school project was the hottest topic in town for several months. Olympic hockey hero Mike Eruzione weighed in with a well-written letter to the editor expressing his support for the school saying, “Winthrop is a hidden gem and I have always been proud to call it my home.”

Supt. Macero said that the new school could be open in January, 2017 – and what a great day for all the people in this town who worked together to forge a new future of opportunities for Winthrop students for years to come.