Whittier Tech’s Open House Looks to Future as Haverhill Population Climbs, Others Shrink

This year’s fall open house at Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School has a new twist.

Sunday’s open house follows the usual course of showcasing the school to potential students and their families, but this time there will be a session discussing plans to renovate or build a new school. Superintendent Maureen Lynch, a recent guest on WHAV’s morning program, spoke about putting the brakes on any talk of expanding the school.

“We’re looking at that. I think we’re leaning toward keeping our school the same size, just for financial consideration of our communities. If our building grows, it also means more students will be attending, which is difficult for some of our cities and towns where their school age population is going down. I think the only one that is actually rising out of our 11 cities and towns is the City of Haverhill,” she said.

Lynch said the discussion covers a feasibility study of certain options required by the Massachusetts School Building Authority. It starts Sunday at 1 p.m. in the music room at Whittier Tech, 115 Amesbury Line Road, in Haverhill.

The full open house takes place from 1-3 p.m. and serves as a primer for potential students and their parents.

“We will have, at that point, all of our vocational areas. Our 23 vocational areas will be having demonstrations. We’re going to put a real focus this year, on our marine technology  program. We’re looking forward to that,” Lynch said.

The Marine Technology program is only the fourth program of its kind to exist in Massachusetts.

Whittier Tech serves students from Haverhill, Groveland, Merrimac, Amesbury, Georgetown, West Newbury, Salisbury, Newburyport, Newbury, Rowley and Ipswich.

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