The Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School is an alternate schooling option for highschoolers who may want more hands on activities. 12 local cities, including Malden, send students to this school located in Wakefield, Massachusetts.
The cities came together on January 20, 2022 and approved a $317 million dollar renovation to the school. While 10 out of 12 cities were on board for this new renovation, two cities were on the fence. Chelsea’s City Council along with Saugus Town Meeting voted against the renovations being done having cited the cost it was going to take.
Each city is expected to contribute rationally based on the number of students being sent to the school. The school has received a $141 million grant from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, leaving $176 million dollars left for the cities to divide.
Malden is projected to contribute $20.9 million for 152 average annual students. The other communities; North Reading, Melrose, Reading, Stoneham, Winchester, Woburn, Revere, Saugus, Chelsea, Wakefield, and Winthrop send between 11 and 248 students and are expected to contribute as much as $31.4 million (Revere), based on the amount of students the cities send to the school, on average, annually.
In a building that has not been significantly renovated since 1968, Northeasts’ biggest issues currently are overcrowding, failing mechanical and electrical systems, as well as outdated facilities and programing.
With the new renovations, the school is expected to have an increase in enrollment by about 400 students a year. This is a 26 percent increase from 1270 students to 1600 students. The renovations are also supposed to include an outdoor learning center, as well as a new primary access to Farm Street in an attempt to control some of the traffic.There is also projected to be a new cafeteria, auditorium and gymnasium.
The updated school is expected to be open in the year 2025.
