New $133.7 Million Agricultural and Technical High School Breaks Ground

State and town officials, school administrators, trustees and stakeholders joined to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new $133.7 million Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical High School at the  in Danvers on Wednesday. 

Described as a "powerful champion" since the inception of the project, which dates back to the mid-1990's, Senate Majority Leader Fred Berry said waking up on Wednesday morning he was "very, very happy."

Berry was presented with a plaque of honor from current freshmen at the North Shore Tech and Essex Agricultural School.

The mega-vocational school will be the only high school in the state to offer all of the programs in one facility that are currently offered between Essex Aggie, North Shore Tech and Peabody.

There are 5 students from Wenham that attend the current school. The number of students from Hamilton was not immidiately available from school officials.

The fiscal 2013 budget in Hamilton puts $144,600 towards the operations of the school, based on the number of students that attend. Wenham's technical school costs in fiscal 2013 are $78,555. Neither town has started paying the debt on the construction project.

"I am tremendously grateful that with the guidance of the Mass. School Building Authority, the Patrick-Murray Administration saw a way to a better future for students on the North Shore,” Berry said. “Today is a momentous occasion that culminates 13 years of collaboration, creativity, and hard work. In the end the North Shore will have the best trained leaders for the future of our economy. I could not be more proud.” 

The 340,000 square foot building will open the doors to students in the fall of 2014.

The new school will serve 1,440 students and will include four career academies, containing 360 students each - Animal and Plant Science; Construction Technology; Life and Natural Sciences; and a Technology and Services Academy.

In December, architects and Danvers town officials met with residents to . 

Danvers Town Manager Wayne Marquis, who quoted Jerry Garcia by noting "what a long and strange journey it's been," said the ceremony was about a multitude of bridges.

"Bridges between the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the cities and towns, between North Shore Tech, Essex Agricultural and Peabody Vocational High School, between the host towns of Danvers and Middleton, and ultimately between the administrators, teachers, and students who will enter here in the fall of 2014."

Lt. Governor Tim Murray said it is the students who attend technical and vocational schools throughout the Commonwealth that have set the bar as active, engaged learners. 

"We want young people who are motivated and excited to come to school," Murray said in his remarks. "We want them to understand that what they're learning in the classroom has relevancy and is tangible in terms of how they're going to live their lives. Our vocational technical schools are informing how we need to be teaching in all of our schools in the future, because of those real world applications."