How Reading Voted For New Northeast Metro Tech

READING, MA — A new vocational school in Wakefield was heavily favored by Reading voters who turned out to Tuesday's special election.

Close to 89 percent of those who cast ballots were behind funding the new Northeast Metro Tech. But turnout was low, with just 746 people voting, coming out to 663 people for and 83 against the new school.

Reading has about 20,600 registered voters, so turnout was roughly 3 percent.

A majority of voters from the 12 cities and towns that send students to the school needed to approve construction. That included Wakefield, where the school is located, as well as Melrose, Stoneham, Malden, Reading, Woburn, North Reading, Winchester, Chelsea, Revere, Saugus and Winthrop.

Elected officials in most of the individual communities, including Reading, had already approved the project, but the Chelsea City Council and Saugus Town Meeting voted against it, citing cost concerns. A single community not supporting the project would have been enough to trigger the special election.

Each community is on the hook for a share of the cost of the $317 million project after a $141 million grant from the Massachusetts School Building Authority. While the cost-per-pupil is the same, communities that send more students to Northeast Metro Tech would end up paying much more than those that don't.

Revere (248 students) will be on the hook for $34.1 million, and Chelsea (238) will have to pay $32.8 million. Saugus (170) will be looking at a $23.4 million bill, and Malden (152) $20.9 million.

Those four communities make up more than 60 percent of the school's students, according to October numbers provided by the district.

Reading will owe $4.5 million for its share. The town currently sends 33 students to the school.

Wakefield sends 100 students, and the other six communities send between 11 and 57 students.
The vote will allow the school to increase its enrollment by 26 percent, from 1,270 to 1,600. That is expected to dramatically shorten the district's waitlist, which is about 400 students annually.

The current building has not had any significant renovations, additions or improvements since its construction in 1968.

The biggest issues facing Northeast Metro are overcrowding, an inability to accommodate individualized education programs tailored to special education students, outdated facilities and programming, and failing mechanical and electrical systems, according to the school.

The project is being partially funded by the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which helps support capital improvement projects.

The new Northeast Metro would bring the school into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and enable it to offer expanded programs and to accommodate individualized education programs.

It would also include a new primary access road from Farm Street to help with traffic, outdoor learning, a new cafeteria, auditorium and gym and more.